As much as 9 inches of rain fell on parts of Lafayette Parish in the early morning hours on Thursday, catching many residents and business owners by surprise, submerging cars and flooding homes and businesses, particularly in downtown Lafayette, which is hosting Festival International de Louisiane through Sunday
So much rain fell in such a short time, even Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore weighed in.
“Insane rainfall in Acadiana this morning,” he posted on social media early Thursday, noting that 8 inches fell in Broussard Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter reported 9 inches of rain fell in his city Lafayette officials said around 6 inches fell in parts of the city
Morning commuters faced flooded roads all over the parish. Dozens of vehicles were stalled in the floodwaters, and the Jefferson Street underpass in downtown Lafayette was filled to the brim with rainwater The Lafayette Police Department said between 50 and 60 calls were received Thursday morning related to flooded cars. The heavy rainfall put Lafayette Parish under a flash flood warning Thursday, according to the National
Water is swept up from inside Pop’s Poboys on Jefferson Street after heavy rains fell overnight, flooding the area on Thursday.
Weather Service in Lake Charles. The Vermilion River at Surrey Street in
Bill revived to curb nursing home suits
BY ANDREA GALLO Staff writer
Louisiana’s nursing homes rank among the nation’s worst, clocking high rates of pressure sores, concerns about overprescription of antipsychotic medications and dire shortages of staff. But state lawmakers took the first step at a hearing Wednesday night in curtailing lawsuits against management companies for nursing homes and other health care companies — who dictate their levels of staffing and spending.
Senate Bill 134 from Sen. Thomas Pressly, RShreveport, would change the definition of health care provider in Louisiana, lumping in administrative, staffing and custodial services under the term. It would also expand the definition of malpractice to include administrative duties, staffing and care performed in a “supporting capacity.” The changes to the definitions are meant to prevent lawsuits citing administrative negligence against nursing home management companies, who have been on the hook in recent years for multimillion-dollar verdicts in favor of patients and their families. The proposed change to the law would force patients to file suit instead under Louisiana’s Medical Malpractice Act, which caps damages to $500,000 in total and limits them to $100,000 for the provider — in this case, a nursing home management company
and the LSU Reilly Center
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE
Vehicles drive past a flooded Jefferson Street underpass on Thursday in downtown Lafayette.
National Weather Service
to resume translations
The National Weather Service will resume translating its products for non-English speakers.
The weather service paused the translations this month because its contract with the provider had lapsed. Experts said the change could put non-English speakers at risk of missing potentially life-saving warnings about extreme weather
The weather service said Thursday the contract has been reinstated, and the translations will resume by the end of the day Monday.
Lilt, an artificial intelligence company, began providing translations in late 2023. That replaced manual translations that the weather service had said were labor-intensive and not sustainable. It eventually provided them in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French and Samoan.
Nearly 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home, including 42 million Spanish speakers, according to 2019 Census data.
The translations are important during extreme weather events, but general weather forecasts are also essential for people who work in tourism, transportation and energy, experts say California serial cat killer suspect arrested
LOS ANGELES An Orange County man who police believe killed more than a dozen neighborhood cats after luring them to his property was arrested Wednesday, according to authorities.
Over several weeks the Santa Ana Police Department has received multiple reports of suspected animal abuse and missing cats.
Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, 45, of Santa Ana was arrested Wednesday and booked at the Santa Ana City Jail on felony charges related to animal cruelty, authorities said.
Yessenia Aspeitia, a media relations coordinator for the Santa Ana Police Department, said officials couldn’t provide the exact number of cats the suspect is believed to have harmed, but it is over a dozen.
Authorities allege Acosta was positively identified by several victims and witnesses as the man who lured their cats away from their homes.
Investigators are currently assembling a timeline of the alleged incidents, Aspeitia said Officials are combing local social media groups for accounts of stolen or missing cats to incorporate alongside formal reports made to the department over the course of several weeks.
Local cat owners in recent weeks have shared photos on social media of their missing cats and home security footage showing a man luring them away from their homes. Wis. base investigated for flipped portraits
MADISON, Wis. — The U.S. Army has suspended a Wisconsin training base’s first female commander after discovering portraits of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been flipped around to face a wall The Army has posted an undated statement on Fort McCoy’s website saying Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez has been suspended as the base’s garrison commander. The statement said the suspension isn’t related to any misconduct but provided no other details, saying the matter was under review The Department of Defense on April 14 posted photos on X showing portraits of Trump and Hegseth on the base’s chain of command wall had been turned to face the wall, along with photos showing that they had been flipped back to face the corridor
“Regarding the Ft. McCoy Chain of Command wall controversy WE FIXED IT!” the post read. “Also, an investigation has begun to figure out exactly what happened. ”
Baez Ramirez assumed the role of garrison commander at Fort McCoy in July 2024 after serving as chief of the Reserve Program, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Judge halts parts of election order
Congress and states, not president, have power to regulate elections, she says
BY ALI SWENSON Associated Press
NEW YORK A judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from immediately enacting certain changes to how federal elections are run, including adding a proofof-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form.
The decision is a setback for President Donald Trump, who has argued the requirement is needed to restore public confidence in elections. But the judge allowed other parts of Trump’s sweeping executive order on U.S. elections to go forward for now, including a directive to tighten mail ballot deadlines around the country
Trump’s March executive order overhauling how U.S. elections are run prompted swift lawsuits from the League of United Latin American Citizens, the League of Women Voters Education Fund, the Democratic National Committee and others, who called it unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington sided with voting rights groups and Democrats, saying that the Constitution gives the power to regulate federal elections to states and Congress — not the president. She noted federal lawmakers are currently working on their own legislation to require proof of citizenship to vote.
In a 120-page decision on Thursday, she said the plaintiffs had proven that the proof-of-citizenship requirement would cause their clients irreparable harm and go against the public interest, while the government had offered “almost no defense of the President’s order on the merits.”
Accordingly, she granted a preliminary injunction to stop the citizenship requirement from moving forward while the lawsuit plays out.
The judge also blocked part of the Republican president’s order requiring public assistance enrollees to have their citizenship assessed before getting access to the
federal voter registration form.
But she denied other requests from a group of Democratic plaintiffs, including refusing to block Trump’s order to require all mailed ballots to be received by Election Day nationwide. She also did not touch Trump’s order to open certain databases to billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to allow it to review state voter lists to search for noncitizens The judge said those arguments brought by Democrats were either premature or should be brought by states instead.
The plaintiffs had argued Trump’s proof-of-citizenship requirement violated the Constitution’s so-called Elections Clause, which gives states and Congress the authority to determine how elections are run.
They also argued that Trump’s order asserts power that he does not have over an independent agency That agency the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, sets
Man charged with arson in breakout of N.J. blaze
Authorities say man set wooden pallets on fire
BY MIKE CATALINI Associated Press
A man set a bonfire using wooden pallets in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens and left them without fully extinguishing the blaze, sparking a quick-moving wildfire with smoke affecting air quality in the New York City area, authorities said
Thursday
Authorities arrested 19-year-old Joseph Kling of Waretown, New Jersey, and charged him with arson and aggravated arson in the fire that’s still burning in southern New Jersey The wildfire was described as starting with “an improperly extinguished bonfire.”
Judge James Gluck told Kling during a brief court appearance Thursday the state sought to have him detained pending trial and he wouldn’t be released. Kling spoke briefly, only to clarify that his next court appearance was set for Tuesday “Thank you Have a good day,” he said when the judge dismissed him.
A public defender representing Kling during the hearing told the judge she had “nothing further” when he asked.
Emails to the public defender’s office said Thursday it could not comment on a pending case so early in the process. A voice message was left at a possible phone number for Kling.
Authorities first spotted the blaze Tuesday morning from a fire tower when a smoke column appeared amid the pines.
Law enforcement said they used a GPS to plot the origin of the fire and determined the cause was a bonfire that hadn’t been put out. They said they determined Kling was responsible for setting the pallets on fire and left before it was out. It’s unclear how they linked him to the blaze or where he was arrested.
It’s peak forest fire season in the vast pine wilderness that covers more than 1 million acres and firefighters are contending with low humidity and the aftermath of a drought in the region.
The fire had grown to more than 23 square miles on Thursday, approaching what officials believe to have been the largest wildfire in the state in the last two decades.
Parade shooter gets life sentence
BY SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press
WAUKEGAN, Ill. — The suburban Chicago man who admitted to fatally shooting seven people and wounding dozens of others during a 2022 Independence Day parade was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti handed down seven sentences of life in prison for 24-year-old Robert Crimo III, as prosecutors requested, for the firstdegree murder charges after hearing emotional testimony from survivors and the relatives of those killed in the shooting. She also sentenced Crimo, who did not attend the two-day hearing, to 50 years for 48 counts of attempted murder
“This court has absolutely no words that could adequately describe and capture the horror and pain that was inflicted on July 4,” the judge said. She added that Crimo, who did not attend the sentencing, “is irretrievably depraved, permanently incorrigible, irreparably corrupt and beyond any rehabilitation.”
The proceedings have been marked by unpredictable behavior including Thursday when Rossetti briefly paused
the hearing because Crimo changed his mind and was being escorted to the hearing. However, his defense attorneys later said it was for an unrelated issue and he went back to his Lake County jail cell.
Crimo also declined to offer a statement to the court through his attorneys.
The judge ordered consecutive sentences, and Crimo “will die in prison,” his public defender, Gregory Ticsay, said.
“He’s always known that he was facing life in prison,” Ticsay said. “He has spared this community the lengthy trial.”
Dozens were wounded in the shooting in the suburb north of Chicago. They ranged in age from their 80s to an 8-yearold boy who was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Crimo pleaded guilty last month just before jurors were due to report for opening statements. He previously backed out of a plea deal, fired his public defenders and reversed his decision to represent himself. He signed his name and Donald Trump’s when he waived his right to trial. Crimo has also skipped several hearings, despite warnings from Rossetti that the case would proceed without him Prosecutors and Rossetti said that Crimo did not show any regret.
voluntary voting system guidelines and maintains the federal voter registration form.
During an April 17 hearing, attorneys for the plaintiffs had said requiring proof of citizenship on the federal voter registration form would complicate their clients’ voter registration drives at grocery stores and other public places.
Aria Branch, counsel for the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic plaintiffs, also argued the executive order’s effort to tighten mail ballot deadlines would irreparably harm her clients by forcing them to reallocate resources to help voters navigate the changes.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said it was disappointed by the ruling.
“Few things are more sacred to a free society or more essential to democracy than the protection of its election systems,” said Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights.
Whooping
cough cases rising again
BY DEVNA BOSE Associated Press
Whooping cough cases are rising, and doctors are bracing for yet another tough year There have been 8,485 cases reported in 2025, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s twice as many cases as this time last year, based on the CDC’s final tally Rates of whooping cough, or pertussis, soared last year, which experts said wasn’t unexpected. The number of cases fell during COVID-19 because of masking and social distancing. Plus, experts said, the illness peaks every two to five years. But experts say the outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses, like measles and whooping cough, could be indicative of changing attitudes toward vaccines. U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates fell last year, and the number of children
with vaccine exemptions hit an all-time high.
“There’s unfortunately been increasing anti-vaccine sentiment in the United States,” said Dr Ericka Hayes at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Our recovery is not nearly as quick as we expected it to be and we needed it to be. And again, when you fall below 95% for vaccinations, you lose that herd immunity protection.”
Whooping cough tends to peak around this time of year and in the fall. It’s usually spread through respiratory droplets in the air, when people with pertussis cough, sneeze or breathe close to others. The symptoms are similar to a cold but the cough becomes increasingly severe with a distinctive sound — a “whoop” as the person tries to take in air It is treated with antibiotics. In the past six months, two babies in Louisiana and a 5-year-old in Washington state have died from whooping cough.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT SLOCUM Firefighters battle a house fire Wednesday in Lacey Township, N.J.
La.lawmakers consider newethicsrules
Gov.JeffLandry in pending charges broughtbythe ethics board for failingtodisclose private air travel provided byapolitical donor when he was attorney general.
BY ALYSE PFEIL |Staff writer
Some state lawmakerswant to set more stringent rules for how the board that enforces Louisiana’s ethics laws investigates publicofficials, arguing thatthe boardhas too much latitudewhen it comes to probing accusations of wrongdoing.
Butsomegood-government groups worry the proposal could make it too difficult to look into allegations of unethical behavior and too easy to quash investigations that areneeded to determine if any wrongdoing actuallytook place.
HouseBill674 wouldmakedozens of changes to the ethics code, including setting up new procedures for the LouisianaBoard of Ethics,which enforces conflict-ofinterest, nepotism and campaign finance laws.
Of particular significance are new protocols for investigating alleged violations of ethics laws. The procedures wouldrequirea twothirds majority vote of the board to proceed with any investigation into possible violations. And they would allow officials under investigation to ask courts to intervene and limit or block an investigation.
Currently,the boardisrequired by law to investigate any sworn complaints it receives, anditdoes so without the need for avote.Otherwise, the board can investigate when “it has reason to believe” there may be aviolation with a two-thirds majority vote.
“The bill increases procedural safeguards for respondents to ethics complaints,” said Stephen Gelé, an attorney who helped put together thelegislation andwho for years hasrepresented clients in matters before the Louisiana Board of Ethics.
Gelé is currently representing
Gelé said in an email that he helped compile the bill with the input of “many stakeholders,” includingattorneysand accountants familiar with ethics boardprocedures, public officials who have been investigated or charged, legislators, public policy organizations and the ethicsboard administrator,whichserves as the board’s general counsel
“These safeguards are consistent with long-standing principles of American dueprocess,” he said, citing as examples the right to counsel, the right not to selfincriminateand proportionality, amongothers.
But, while acknowledging the importance of due process, some watchdog groupsfearthe rulesare too strict.
“I thinkittips alittletoo far in terms of protecting elected officials from investigations,” said Steven Procopio, president of the Public Affairs Research Council, anonpartisan Louisiana public policy research organization.
Procopio noted that alaw passed last year gave state legislators and thegovernor powertoappoint anyone of their choosing to the ethics board.Previously, members were selected from alist of candidates providedbyleaders of the state’s privatecolleges.
Thefact that everyboardmemberisnow appointed by an elected official,together with the proposed two-thirds vote requirement, means that “any third of them can stop an investigation,” Procopio said.
“You don’t needa majorityvote to kill something,” he said. “Out of 15 people, you need five. Rep. BeauBeaullieu, R-New Iberia, is sponsoring the legislation and chairs the House and Governmental Affairs committee, which in recent months held hearings looking into the ethics board’sprocedures
“Wehad people over thecourse of the lastyear talk about their uneasiness with some of theinvestigations that have taken place by the board,” he said Wednesday during ahearing on the bill, which advanced outofBeaullieu’s committee withoutany opposition. What wouldthe bill change?
Before votingonwhether to launch an investigation, the Board of Ethics would be required to consider several factors, including whether:
n Thepersonhas already rectified thepotential violation
n The board would “more likely than not finda significantviolation
n An investigationwould “support the purposes” of thestate’s ethics code
n Sufficient information is available to support an investigation
n The expenses to undertake the investigation “weighed against the severity of thepotential violation.”
If, after considering thefactors, the board votedtobegin an investigation, it would need to follow new, detailed procedures forthe investigation.
Barry Erwin, chief policy officer of Leaders for aBetter Louisiana, noted that looking into potential violations is part of the job of the ethics board.
“Wedon’twant to createunnecessary hurdlesjust to consider and investigate aviolation,” he said.
An initial investigation into potential wrongdoing allows the boardto“get to the bottom of things” andhappens before formal charges are brought and heard by ajudge, Erwin explained.
Otherchanges
Under theproposal, once an investigation begins, thesubject of the inquiry could ask adistrict court for an order to place certain limits or conditions on an investigation —orstop it altogether
The bill would alsocreate new rulesfor theboard to issuesub-
poenas or requests for records or sworn statements.
Anyone on thereceiving end of a request for information or subpoena would have to respond within 30 days. Andincases of refusal to comply,the ethics board could ask adistrict court to issue an order requiring compliance.
But the board could issue asubpoena onlywith a“finding that the importance of the information sought outweighs the burden of producing the information.”
And it could only gather verbal sworn testimony “under conditions agreed uponbythe subject of the investigation.”
At variousstages in the process, theboard would need to provide noticetothe personunderinvestigation of having aconstitutional right to counsel and aconstitutional right not to incriminate oneself.
The board would also have to meet aset of new requirements before deciding whether to bring formal chargesafter an investigation: createa report of the investigation, provide it to the subject, and allow thesubject to respond to the report.
Only after that process, and with atwo-thirds vote of the board, could adecision be made to bring formal charges for violations of ethics laws.
Privatefarefor official business
Separate from proposed changes to ethicsboardinvestigations, the legislation would expand how far statelawmakers could traveland have the bill paid for by someone else.
In cases of public speaking engagements, lawmakers could acceptcomplimentary food, lodging and travelarrangements in any country in North America or any U.S. territory or state.
In cases of events organized “for information purposes,” lawmakers could travel forfree anywhere in the U.S. In cases “for entertainmentpurposes,” they could travel for free within 50 milesoftheir homedistrict or the State Capitol.
Rules about public disclosures of donated lodging or transportation would not change under the bill.
“Wedidn’tchange any of the reportingrequirements. Allwe did wasincreasethe geography,” Gelé told lawmakers Wednesday. “I expanded the geography to the entirety of North America when we did this broad revision.”
The bill would also set up rules for how public officials should list the value of complimentary private airfare on public disclosure forms.
For any “air transportation by private aircraft,” they could value theflight using standard commercial or charter flight fees for acomparabletrip, theactual cost of the private flight, generally accepted accounting principles or amethod consistent with federal regulations.
Public officials aresometimes invited to travel on someone’sprivate plane, Gelé explained. “That has to be reported. The problem is that as apractical matter,the accountants and the lawyers, including myself, were always not sure what number to put down.”
The case in which Geléisrepresenting Landry deals with formal chargesbrought by theethics board in August 2023. The board alleges Landry failed to disclose free private flights provided by a political supporter,a requirement under law
According to the charges, Landry received free round-trip air travel on aprivate plane for a meeting of theAttorney General Alliance held in Hawaii in June 2021, when he was attorney general. Greg Mosing, apolitical supporter,owns Stanton Aviation, the company that provided the flight. Gelé said that, should House Bill 674 becomelaw,itwould have no impact on the case, nor would the proposed rule changes have altered whether charges were filed in the first place.
Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.
Aclash between Gov. Jeff Landry and legislativeleaders over fundingfor private education escalated Wednesday when lawmakers put off voting on akey contract,drawing asharp rebuke from the governor Landry’ssignature education program, called LA GATOR, will give eligible Louisiana families tax dollars to pay for private school and expenses like tutoring and laptops. Aprivate company is helping run the new program, and the Legislature must approve aone-year extension of the company’scontract, which expires in June.
But when the $1.9 million extension came before the Joint Legislative Committee on theBudget Wednesday,the Senate leader reiterated concerns about the program’soverall cost, and avoteon the contract was pushed to next month.
Landry,aconservative Republican who says tax dollarsshould follow students to private and religious schools, decried the delay on social media. Lawmakers’ failure to approve the contractextension
puts the state education department in “crisismode,”threatening its ability to ensure students receivea“propereducation,” he wrote on X.
“The thousands of parents who signed up forthe GATOR scholarship are desperatefor help and action,” he added.
Senate President Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, said thebudget committee will approve the contract at its meeting next month Before that, he wanted to use Wednesday’shearing to inform lawmakers andthe public about thepotentially huge cost of subsidizing private education for thousands of students, he said.
“Of all the things we have in the budget right now,thisisthe one item that can grow the fastestout of control,”hesaidduring thehearing. “That’s whyIwant to spendthisamount of time on it.”
Thedebate over how much public money to give families forprivate educationispartofalarger puzzle over Louisiana’s budget.
Landry has orderedastate government hiring freeze, andlawmakers are trying to find money to prevent apay stipend for teachers from vanishing Recently,disagreement over funding for LA GATOR hasburst into public view
students haveapplied forthe private-education grants, which can range fromabout $7,600 for lower-income families to nearly $15,300for studentswithdisabilities. About 35,000 of those students meet the program’seligibilitycriteria, whichprioritizelow-income families, students with disabilities and students in the state’sexisting school-voucher program, which LA GATOR will replace. Landry and state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley, whotestifiedWednesday,have touted theapplication numbers as evidence of high parental demand.
ment made clear to familiesthat “just because you apply doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to have aseat.” He also noted that the Legislature passed legislation last year establishing the LA GATOR program, and the Education Department is now responsible for enacting it. To do that, Brumley said the agency needs the vendor,New York-based Odyssey, to manage enrollment andanonline marketplace where families will use their grants to purchase educational services and pay tuition.
cationsubsidies next school year, but Henry said this month that lawmakers want to include no more than$50 million for LA GATOR in thestate budget that must be finalized by July In response, abillionaire-backed group that promotes school vouchers rantelevisionads on Easter Sundayurgingvoters to tellstate legislatorsto“fully fund Landry’s plan.” The pressurecampaign is a repeat of last year,when Landry appeared in TV adscriticizinglawmakers who wanted to scale back LA GATOR and hosted atown-hall meeting at aCatholic schoolin Henry’sdistrict to promote the program The families of nearly 40,000
But Henrysuggested that it was misguided to allow tens of thousands of familiestoapplywhen thestate is planning to award only afew thousand grants.
Landry’s proposal wouldpay for up to 12,000 students to get grants, while Henry’splan would cover fewer than 6,000 students. He said Wednesdaythat if all 35,000 eligible studentswho applied got grants, it would cost the state $350 million.
“I don’tthink that’srealistic at this time —Idon’tthink that will ever be realistic in Louisiana,” Henry said, addingthatheworriesthe state is “giving parents false hope.” Brumley said the open application process was necessary to gauge interest in the program, adding that the Education Depart-
Last year,lawmakers on the budget committee balked at aproposed three-year contract with Odyssey worth up to $11.3 million. In response,the EducationDepartment revised it to aone-year deal that must be extended annually.If approved, the amendedcontract would extend through June 2026. Odyssey is expected to launch the LA GATORmarketplace in Julysoparticipating families can begin paying tuitionfor the fall. Butthe company’s contractmust be finalizedfor that to happen, Brumley said.
“The longer we waitonthis contract, the morelikely it is to not launch successfully,” he told lawmakers.
Email Patrick Wall at patrick. wall@theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Gov. Jeff Landrysaid Wednesday that adelayinapproving acontract for the newLAGATOR program, which helps families payfor private school, could threaten students’ ability to geta ‘proper education.’
Tens of thousands pay final respects
Vatican keeps the doors open overnight
BY COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press
VATICAN CITY So many mourners
lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour and a half Thursday morning for cleaning.
The basilica was bathed in a hushed silence as mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle to pay their last respects to Francis, who died Monday at age 88 after a stroke.
The Vatican said more than 90,000 people had paid their respects by Thursday evening, a day and a half after opening. The basilica closed for just a short time Thursday morning, and will stay open Thursday night as long as there are mourners, the Vatican said.
The hours spent on line up the stately via della Conciliazione through St. Peter’s Square and through the Holy Door into the basilica has allowed mourners to find community around the Argentine pontiff’s legacy of inclusion and humble persona Emiliano Fernandez, a Catholic from Mexico, was waiting in line around midnight, and after two hours still had not reached the basilica. “I don’t even care how much time I wait here. It’s just the opportunity to (show) how I admired Francisco in his life,” said Fernandez, whose admiration for the pope grew during his 2016 visit to Mexico.
Robert Healy, a pilgrim from Ireland, flew on the spur of the moment from Dublin just to pay his respects.
“I think it’s just really important to be here, to show our respect to the Holy Father,” he said. “We flew from Dublin last night, we’re staying for one day, home tonight then. We just felt it was really important to be here.”
Among the first-day mourners was a church group of 14-year-olds from near Milan who arrived for the now-suspended canonization of the first millennial saint, as well as a woman who prayed to the pope for a successful operation and an Italian family who brought their small children to see the pope’s body
“We came because we didn’t bring them when he was alive, so we thought we would bring them for a final farewell,” said Rosa Scorpati, who was exiting the basilica Wednesday with her three children in strollers. “They were good, but I don’t think they really understood because they haven’t yet had to deal with death.”
Like many others, the Scorpati family from Calabria was in Rome on an Easter vacation, only to be met with the news of Francis’ death on Easter Monday Out of devotion to the pope and his message of inclusion, the grieving faithful joined the procession of mourners that wended from St. Peter’s Square through the basilica’s Holy Door, with the repentant among them winning an indulgence, a form of atonement granted during the Jubilee Holy Year From
there, the line extended down the basilica’s central aisle to the pope’s simple wooden casket After three days of public viewing, a funeral Mass including heads of state will be held Saturday in St. Peter’s Square. The pope will then be buried in a niche within the St. Mary Major Basilica, near his favorite Madonna icon.
Security
Italian authorities have tightened security around the Vatican, adding drones to foot and horse patrols to their controls along the Tiber River and Via della Conciliazione, which leads to St. Peter’s Square, to secure the area for mourners and foreign delegation expected for the funeral.
The Vatican said 130 delegations are confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns. Among those confirming their attendance are U.S. President Donald Trump with the First Lady Melania Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The prefect of Rome, Lamberto
Giannini, told a news conference on Thursday that “I believe that the ‘security machine’ is ready,” but will remain flexible and ”ready to reshape and above all transmit a sense of serenity.”
Paying respects
The death of Francis capped a 12-year pontificate characterized by his concern for the poor and his message of inclusion, but he was also criticized by some conservatives who felt alienated by his progressive outlook.
A procession of priests, bishops and cardinals accompanied Francis’ body Wednesday on its journey from a private viewing inside the Vatican to St. Peter’s Square. The pageantry contrasted with the human interactions of rank-and-file mourners at the public viewing.
Francis lay in state in an open casket, perched on a ramp facing mourners, with four Swiss Guards standing at attention. As the crowd reached the casket, many lifted their smartphones to snap a photo.
One nun accompanying an el-
BY REBECCA PRECIUTTI and GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press
VATICAN CITY — Peruvian nun
Alba Socola waited in line for almost five hours with thousands of other Catholics on Wednesday to enter St. Peter’s Basilica and give her final farewell to the late Pope Francis. She believed the special moment of prayer was well worth the wait.
“It’s like praying for our church and asking the Lord, through the intercession of the pope, to continue guiding us,” the 27-year-old said while waiting in line to enter the basilica. People began filing through
derly woman with a cane walked away sobbing, “My pope is gone.”
Such despair was rare. The mood was more one of gratitude for a pope who had, by example, taught many people to open their minds.
“I am very devoted to the pope,” said Ivenes Bianco, who was in Rome from Brindisi, Italy, for an operation. “He was important to me because he brought many people together by encouraging coexistence.” She cited Francis’ acceptance of the gay community and his insistence on helping the poor Humbeline Coroy came to Rome from Perpignan, France, for the planned canonization Sunday of 15-year-old Carlo Acutis, which was suspended after the pope’s death. She stayed to pay respects to Francis, enjoying exchanges with Japanese mourners they met
to pay their final respects on the first of three days of public viewing ahead of the funeral on Saturday Socola said Francis encouraged young people to play a more active role in the church.
The nun said the moment when she stood in front of Francis’ coffin was “a moment to pray” for the entire Catholic Church and call for much-needed peace around the world.
“It was a great thrill to be there. And the most important thing is that it invites you to pray and be silent,” Socola said, before posing for a photo with other nuns and leaving St. Peter’s Square.
as they waited under the sun in St. Peter’s Square.
“For me, it is a lot of things. In my job, I work with disabled children, and I traveled to Madagascar to work with poor people. Being here, and close to the pope, is a way of integrating these experiences, and make them concrete,” she said. Cardinals convene
Cardinals continued to arrive in Rome for Saturday’s funeral, and numbered 113 by Thursday During a morning session “the cardinals started a conversation on the church and the world,” the details of which remain private. No sooner than May 5, after nine days of official mourning, cardinals under 80 years of age will meet in a conclave to choose a new pope.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO
Faithful pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday.
A woman takes a picture of a photograph of the late Pope Francis that reads ‘Please, don’t forget to pray for me’ during a Mass in his memory at the Chiesa di Santo Spirito in Sassia outside the Vatican on Thursday.
Trump urges Russia to ‘STOP!’ after attack on Kyiv
BY AAMER MADHANI and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Thursday offered rare criticism of Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian leader to “STOP!” after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying.” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Russia struck Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones. At least 12 people were killed and 90 were injured in the deadliest assault on the city since last July
Trump’s frustration is growing as a U.S.-led effort to get a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia has not made progress.
Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday and accused him of prolonging the “killing field” by refusing to surrender the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula as part of a possible deal. Russia illegally
annexed that area in 2014. With his assertion that Putin demonstrated “very bad timing” with the massive attack, Trump appeared to suggest that the Russian leader was doing himself no favors toward achieving the Kremlin’s demand that any peace agreement include Russia keeping control of Crimea as well as Ukrainian ter-
ritory in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions it has seized since invading in February 2022.
Later Thursday during an Oval Office meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump said that Crimea was taken from Ukraine without a fight. He also noted that annexation of the
Ukrainian peninsula happened under President Barack Obama’s watch.
Asked what Putin is doing now to help forge a peace deal, Trump responded, “stopping taking the whole country, pretty big concession.”
But the notion is one that Ukraine and much of Europe have fiercely pushed back against, arguing that Russia pausing a land grab is hardly a concession.
Zelenskyy has repeated many times that recognizing occupied territory as Russia’s is a red line for Ukraine. He noted Thursday that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal 44 days ago as a first step to a negotiated peace, but that Moscow’s attacks had continued.
Trump’s criticism of Putin is notable because Trump has repeatedly said Russia is more willing than Ukraine to get a deal done.
“I didn’t like last night,” Trump said of Russia’s massive attack on Kyiv, which led to him criticizing Putin. “I wasn’t happy with it.”
In his dealings with Zelenskyy and Putin, Trump has focused on which leader has leverage. Putin has “the cards” and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said repeat-
edly At the same time, the new Republican administration has taken steps toward a more cooperative line with Putin, for whom Trump has long shown admiration.
Trump in his meeting with Norway’s Gahr Støre was to discuss the war in Ukraine, U.S. tariffs and other issues.
Norway, a member of NATO and strong supporter of Ukraine, shares a roughly 123-mile border with Russia.
Gahr Støre said in a social media post Thursday that he would underscore during the talks that “close contact between Norway and the USA is crucial.”
“We must contribute to a lasting and just peace in Ukraine,” he said.
The White House announced Tuesday that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would visit Moscow this week for a new round of talks with Putin about the war It would be their fourth meeting since Trump took office in January Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met on Thursday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who also planned talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz.
India and Pakistan ramp up spat after Kashmir attack
BY AIJAZ HUSSAIN, SHEIKH SAALIQ and RIAZAT BUTT Associated Press
SRINAGAR, India India and Pakistan cancelled visas for their nationals to each other’s countries and Islamabad warned New Delhi for suspending a water-sharing treaty Thursday
The moves came after India blamed Pakistan for a deadly attack by gunmen that killed 26 people in disputed Kashmir India said all visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be revoked with effect from Sunday, adding that all Pakistanis currently in India must leave before their visas expire based on the revised timeline. The country also announced other measures, including cutting the number of diplomatic staff, closing the only functional land border crossing between the countries and suspending a crucial watersharing agreement.
In retaliation, Pakistan closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-oper-
grown freedom struggle.
The killings have put pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government to respond aggressively “India will identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers,” Modi told a rally Thursday
ated airlines, and suspended all trade with India. Tuesday’s attack in Kashmir was the worst assault in years, targeting civilians in the restive region that has seen an anti-India rebellion for more than three decades The incident shocked and outraged Indians prompting calls for action against their country’s archenemy, Pakistan. The Indian government said the attack had “cross-border” links to Paki-
stan, without publicly producing any evidence to support that claim. Pakistan has denied any connection to the attack, which was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance. Pakistan’s National Security Committee condemned India’s “belligerent measures.” It said that while Pakistan remained committed to peace, it would never allow anyone to “transgress
its sovereignty, security, dignity and inalienable rights.” Government ministers on both sides have hinted that the dispute could escalate to military action. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told local Dunya News TV channel that “any kinetic step by India will see a titfor-tat kinetic response.”
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh pledged Wednesday to “not only trace those who perpetrat-
ed the attack but also trace those who conspired to commit this nefarious act on our soil,” and hinted at the possibility of military strikes. India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety New Delhi describes all militancy in Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a home-
His government announced a series of diplomatic actions against Islamabad while hinting at plans for more punishment. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced Wednesday that a number of Pakistani diplomats were asked to leave New Delhi and Indian diplomats were recalled from Pakistan. Diplomatic missions in both countries will reduce their staff from 55 to 30 as of May 1. In Pakistan, dozens of demonstrators rallied in some cities, including outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, against India’s suspension of the water treaty, demanding their government retaliate.
Judge blocks Trump push to cut funding to public schools over DEI
BY HOLLY RAMER and COLLIN BINKLEY
Press
Associated
CONCORD, N.H.
— A federal judge on Thursday blocked Trump administration directives that threatened to cut federal funding for public schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs
The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the National Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union, which accused the Republican administration of giving “unconstitutionally vague” guidance and violating teachers’ First Amendment rights.
A second judge on Thursday postponed the effective date of some
U.S Education Department antiDEI guidance, ruling in a separate case filed by the American Federation of Teachers in Maryland. In February, the department told schools and colleges they needed to end any practice that differentiates people based on their race. Earlier this month, it ordered states to gather signatures from local school systems certifying compliance with civil rights laws, including the rejection of what the federal government calls “illegal DEI practices.” The directives do not carry the force of law but threaten to use civil rights enforcement to rid schools of DEI practices Schools were warned that continuing such prac-
tices “in violation of federal law” could lead to U.S. Justice Department litigation and a termination of federal grants and contracts.
U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty in New Hampshire said the April letter does not make clear what the department believes a DEI program entails or when it believes such programs cross the line into violating civil rights law “The Letter does not even define what a ‘DEI program’ is,” McCafferty wrote.
The judge also said there is reason to believe the department’s actions amount to a violation of teachers’ free speech rights.
“A professor runs afoul of the 2025 Letter if she expresses the
view in her teaching that structural racism exists in America, but does not do so if she denies structural racism’s existence. That is textbook viewpoint discrimination,” McCafferty wrote.
An Education Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
States were given until the end of Thursday to submit certification of their schools’ compliance, but some have indicated they would not comply with the order Education officials in some Democratic-led states have said the administration is overstepping its authority and that there is nothing illegal about DEI.
The Feb. 14 memo from the department, formally known as
a “Dear Colleague” letter, said schools have promoted DEI efforts at the expense of white and Asian American students. It dramatically expands the interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court decision barring the use of race in college admissions to all aspects of education, including, hiring, promotion, scholarships, housing, graduation ceremonies and campus life. In the ruling in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher postponed that memo She found it was improperly issued and forces teachers to choose between “being injured through suppressing their speech or through facing enforcement for exercising their constitutional rights.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVGENIy MALOLETKA
A Ukrainian serviceman carries a dog out of a house damaged by a Russian airstrike in a residential neighborhood Thursday in Kyiv, Ukraine.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FAREED KHAN
Supporters of the Pakistan Murkazi Muslim League party chant slogans in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday.
By
BRIEFS
Wall Street rallies for third day
Wall Street’srally kept rolling Thursday as better-than-expected profits for U.S. companies piled up,though CEOs said they’re unsure whether it will last because of uncertainty created by President Donald Trump’strade war
The S&P 500chargedhigher and pulled within 11% of itsrecordset earlier thisyear. The Dow Jones Industrial Average andthe Nasdaq composite increased.
Tech stocks helped leadthe way,including ServiceNow after the AI platform company delivered astronger profit for the start of 2025 than analysts expected. The company,whose AI agents help clients manage their customers, saw its stock jump 15.5%afteritalsogavea forecast range for upcoming subscription revenue that beatsome analysts’ expectations.
Toycompany Hasbro wasa winner and jumped 14.6% after reporting better profit and revenuefor the latestquarterthan analysts expected. It cited strong growth forits Magic: The Gatheringgame, among other products Switch 2preorderssee ‘overwhelming’ demand
U.S. preorders forthe Nintendo Switch2 kicked off shortly after the clockstruck midnight Thursday.But chaos soon ensued amid high demand.
Scores of consumershoping to be among the firsttoown Nintendo’s latest gaming console —set to officially launch June5 —jumped online to try to snag a preorder.And while some lucky buyers found success, many others raninto frustrating delays or saw listings appear to quickly sellout at participating retailers like Target, Walmart andBest Buy in the wee hours of thenight. Among the headaches, social media users shared painfully long wait times, screenshots of error messages or carts that suddenly appeared empty— whilesomereported receiving confirmation emails that were soon followed by notices about the orders being canceled.
Nintendo acknowledged the “very high demand” in an update about those interested in purchasing the Switch 2from its own My Nintendo Store.The company said it would be “workingdiligently to fulfillorders,” but notedthatdelivery by June 5was not guaranteed —urging those who want to increase their chances of getting the console at the launch date to visit aparticipating retailer
The sizable (and speedy) demand for Nintendo’sSwitch2 isn’tsurprising. The new gaming console has been marketed as bigger and better than itspredecessor of eight years past with highly-anticipated features includinganinteractivechat, larger screen and new games. U.S. to ease rules on self-driving cars
U.S. automakers developing self-driving cars will be allowed moreexemptions from certain federalsafetyrulesfor testingpurposes to help them competeagainstChinese rivals, the Transportation Department said Thursday
The department also said it will streamline crash reporting requirements involving selfdriving features and will move toward national rules for the technology to replace apatchworkofstate regulations
The new exemption procedures will allow U.S. automakers to apply to skip certain safety rules for self-driving vehicles if they are used only forresearch and other noncommercial purposes. The exemptionswerein place previously for foreign, importedvehicles whosehome country rulesmay be different than those in the U.S.
The crash reporting rule being changed has drawncriticism from President Donald Trump’s adviserElonMuskasonerous and unfair.His car company,Tesla, has reported manyofthe total crashesunder theruleinpart because it is the biggestseller of partial self-driving vehicles in the U.S.
Airlines trim flights, pull outlook
Domestictravel demand slows
BY MICHELLECHAPMAN AP business writer
Major U.S. airlines are reducing their flight schedules and revising or withdrawing their profit outlooks forthe year due to less domestic travel demandassentiment about thenational and globaleconomies sours.
American Airlines pulled its financialguidancefor 2025 on Thursday,joining rivals Southwest and Delta indeclaring the economic outlook too uncertain to provide full-year forecasts. Allthreeairlines cited weakening sales among economyclass leisuretravelers.
“Wecameoff astrong fourth
quarter,saw decent business in January,and really domestic leisure travel fell off considerably as we wentintothe February time frame,” American AirlinesCEO Robert Isom toldCNBC. Consumer reluctance to book vacationswould correspondwith a newpoll that showed many people fear the U.S. is entering arecession and thatPresident Donald Trump’s broad and haphazardly enforced tariffs will cause prices to rise
There’salso increasingconcern aboutinternational travelers. Michael Feroli, chief U.S.economist at J.P.Morgan, said in aclient note that anti-American sentimentcould be spurring atravel dropoff, with data showing thatinternational visitors to the U.S. are running about 5% lower than ayear ago.
“In recent weeks, there have
been numerous newsstories about tourists canceling trips to the U.S. in protest of the perceived heavyhandedness of recenttrade policies,” he wrote. “This pointstopotentially another channel to consider in assessingthe effects of tariffs on economic activity.”
American Airlines said it would give an update on its full-year guidance “asthe economic outlook becomes clearer.” Airline executives said sales among business travelers andfor premiumseats on long-haul international flights remained solid. Southwest Airlines reported late Wednesdaythatitwould trim its flightschedulefor thesecondhalf of theyear due to lowerdemand. Thecompany also said it could not reaffirmits 2025 and 2026 outlooks forearningsbefore interestand taxes,given “current macroeco-
nomic uncertainty.”
United Airlineslastweek gave two different financial forecasts for how it may perform thisyear,one if there’sarecession and one if not.
The airline said it plannedtoreduce its scheduled domestic flights by 4% starting in July in response to lower-than-expected demand for economyfare tickets.
“Wethink there is areasonable chance things can weaken from here,” United CEO Scott Kirby said.
Delta Air Lines, the nation’s most profitable carrier,predicted as recently as January that the company was on track forthe best financial year in its history.Earlier this month, the airline scratched its performance expectations for 2025 and said it was putting a planned flight schedule expansion on hold.
Poll showseconomicfaith faltering
BY
JOSH BOAK and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX Associated Press
WASHINGTON— Americans’ trust in President DonaldTrump to bolsterthe U.S.economy appearstobefaltering, with anew poll showingthat many people fear the country is beingsteered into arecession and thatthe president’sbroad and haphazardly enforced tariffs will cause prices to rise.
Roughly half of U.S. adultssay that Trump’strade policies will increaseprices “a lot” and another 3in10think prices could go up “somewhat,” according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Centerfor Public Affairs Research.
About halfofAmericans are “extremely” or “very”concerned about the possibilityof the U.S. economy going into arecessionin the next few months. While skepticism about tariffs is increasing modestly,that doesn’tmeanthe public
is automatically rejectingTrump or hisapproach to trade. However,the wariness could cause problems for apresident who promised voters he could quickly fix inflation. Threemonthsinto his second term, Trump’shandling of the economy andtariffs is showing up as apotential weakness. About 4in10Americans approve of the way theRepublican president is handlingthe economy andtrade negotiations. That’s roughlyinline with an AP-NORC poll conducted in March.
About half of U.S. adults, 52%, areagainst imposing tariffs on allgoodsbrought intothe U.S. from other countries. That’supslightly from January,when apoll found that 46% were against tariffs.Driving that small shift largely appears to be adults under age30 who didn’tpreviously have an opinionon tariffs Not quite 100 days intoTrump’ssecond term in the WhiteHouse, peoplearound the country are bracing for possible disruptions in how they spend,work and live. The U.S. economy remains solid for the momentwith moderating inflation and ahealthy4.2% unemployment rate, yet measures such as consumer confidence have dropped sharply
Trumphas used executive actions to remold the globaleconomy.He’simposed hundreds of billions of dollars ayear in new import taxes—albeit partially suspending someofthem —launching afull-scale trade waragainst Chinaand pledging to wrap up deals with dozen of other countries that are temporarily facing tariffs of 10%.
Many Americans are not convinced this is the right approach. About 6in10say Trump has “gone too far” when it comes to imposing new tariffs,according to the poll.
About 6in10U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concernedabout the costofgroceriesinthe next fewmonths, while about half are highly concerned about the cost of big purchases, such as acar,cellphone or appliance. Less than half are highly concerned about their abilitytopurchase thegoodsthey want —a sign of the economy’sresilience so far. Retirement savingsare asourceofanxiety —about 4in10Americans saytheir retirementsavings are a“major source” of stress in theirlives. Butfewer —only about2in 10 —identify thestock marketasa major source of anxiety
United States home salesslowdowninMarch
2022, when sales fell 6.7% from the previous month, and marks the slowestsales pace for themonth of March going back to 2009.
level in two months last week, is asignificantbarrierfor would-be homebuyers, said LawrenceYun, NAR’schief economist.
BY ALEX VEIGA AP business writer
Salesofpreviouslyoccupied U.S. homes slowed in March, alackluster start to thespringhomebuying season as elevated mortgage rates and rising prices discouraged home shoppers. The numbers were also downinsouthLouisiana.
Existing home sales fell 5.9% last month from February to aseasonally adjustedannual rate of 4.02
million units, the National AssociationofRealtors saidThursday.The March sales decline is thelargest monthly drop since November
Salesalso fell 2.4% compared withMarch lastyear.The latest home sales fell short of the 4.12 millionpace economists wereexpecting, according to FactSet.
SouthLouisiana home sales were alsodown in March. In the New Orleans area,there were 859sales last month, down 13.5% from the 993 sales in March2024, according to figures from theNew Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors. TheBaton Rouge area hada 5.8% drop in March, from 774 sales in 2024 to 729, according to theGreater Baton Rouge Association of RealtorsMultiple Listing Service.
The average cost of aU.S. mortgage,which climbedtoits highest
“Residential housing mobility, currently at historical lows, signals the troublesome possibilityofless economic mobility for society,” Yun said.
Home pricesincreased on an annual basis forthe 21st consecutive month, althoughata slower rate.The national median sales price rose 2.7% in March from a year earlier to $403,700, an all-time high forMarch,but thesmallest annualincrease since August. Mediansales prices droppedyear to year by 1.9% in BatonRouge,to $255,000, and 1.8% in New Orleans, to $270,135 The U.S. housing market has been in asales slump since2022, when
mortgage rates begantoclimb from pandemic-era lows. Salesof previously occupied U.S.homes fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. Higher mortgage rates also dampened the startofthe spring homebuying season in 2024. This year,after climbing to ajust above 7% in mid-January,the average rate on a30-year mortgage has remained mostly elevated,climbing last week to 6.83%, its highest levelineight weeks,according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. The averagerate eased this week to 6.81%.
Homes purchased last month likely went undercontractinFebruary andearlyMarch,whenthe average rate on a30-year mortgage rangedfrom6.89% to 6.63% according to Freddie Mac.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByNATHANHOWARD
ElizabethMahon, owner of baby store Three Littles, unpacks strollers and other inventoryordered by customers on April16ahead of tariffdriven price increases at her Union Market location in Washington.
feet.
Festival International de Louisiane workers and volunteers jumped into action early Thursday to clean up damage and get ready to reopen Thursday evening.
“There was a lot of damage, but we’re rebuilding right now,” said Festival director Scott Feehan on a call Thursday morning, as his team could be heard lifting tents and Festival equipment that fell in the storm.
Feehan and volunteers wrung out wet T-shirts after about a dozen boxes got wet. Others spread out dozens of festival koozies to dry in the afternoon sun
Like many downtown businesses, the owners of Pop’s Poboys on Jefferson Street rely on the brisk business that the festival attracts. When the restaurant and shop next door flooded Thursday, the situation seemed bleak. But by lunch time, the businesses had recovered and Pop’s was filling requests for its fried pickles, buttermilk fried catfish po-boys and red bean falafel.
The quick recovery was in part because of help from volunteers that included other small downtown business owners who brought squeegees, shop vacs, brooms and manpower to help their neighbors.
“Overwhelmed with gratitude to this great community who showed up with squeegees, fans, dehumidifiers, shop vacs, mops, towels, food, coffee and boots and put in the work to get us open,” Pop’s owners posted on the shop’s Facebook page. “We lost computers, some stock, but it could have been so much worse if it weren’t for the community rallying to help us.”
On Main Street in downtown, Patricia Brown surveyed the damage Thursday morning after the water receded from WickedInk Premier Tattoo Studio, which has been open about a year
“We’ve lost years and years worth of artwork and thousands of dollars in electrical equipment,” she said.
“Unfortunately renters’ insurance doesn’t cover floods.” Kevin Blanchard, CEO of Downtown Lafayette, said about 20 downtown businesses took in water Thursday some that don’t usually flood. Most were able to sweep or squeegee the water away Blanchard said he is frustrated that millions of dollars once budgeted by past Lafayette councils
BILL
Continued from page 1A
“If this bill was law in 2021 when Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana, Bob Dean would have been completely protected for his administrative negligence, without a doubt,” testified Denise Bottcher, state director of AARP Louisiana. “This bill is a bad policy It would leave hundreds of thousands of family members, caregivers, older adults, without a voice.”
Dean owned several nursing homes in Louisiana and sent 843 of his elderly and infirm residents to a tepid warehouse during the storm. Residents there cried out for help but received little attention, according to nurses who staffed the warehouse and state inspectors who visited. Urine and excrement piled up in the facility, which did not have enough bathrooms, while some residents spent days in wheelchairs without being moved or receiving correct medications.
The state eventually shut down the warehouse, evacuated the residents and closed Dean’s nursing homes. Dozens of his patients were hospitalized and many died, with coroners determining five deaths to be storm-related.
Dean was arrested and faced a bevy of lawsuits, including a class-action suit from his former nursing home patients and their surviving family members against his nursing home management company The suit led to a $12.5 million settlement from Dean’s insurance proceeds. He pleaded no contest to counts of cruelty to the infirm, Medicaid fraud and obstruction of justice. The Legislature considered a similar bill last session, but jettisoned it amid public blowback around the Dean case. But the Louisiana Nursing Home Association told lawmakers Wednesday to
and mayor-presidents for downtown Lafayette drainage improvements haven’t been spent to help with their intended purpose.
“We’re the center of our regional economy,” said Blanchard, who served under a prior mayorpresident as public works director and development director
“When we’re seeing flooding in a short rain event like this, that’s not normal. The system is not working.”
Drainage improvements are working and the system did not fail, Jamie Boudreaux, chief communications officer for Lafayette Consolidated Government, said. The drainage system is built for a certain amount of rain in a certain amount of time, she said, calling Thursday’s storm a 25- or 50-year event.
“We had a tremendous amount of rain happen in a short time frame,” she said. “The system can’t take on that amount of rain that quickly.”
Staff writers Joanna Brown, Jakori Madison and Stephen Marcantel contributed to this report.
ignore comparisons between Dean’s case and the potential changes to the law, noting that Dean was not a member of the LNHA. They said management companies were supposed to be classified as health care providers under the Medical Malpractice Act since a law change in 2003 that has since been “eroded.”
And Wes Hataway, the legal and policy director for the Louisiana Nursing Home Association, said that a blitz of lawsuits against nursing homes has threatened to upend the industry. Pressly also testified that the law was intended to ensure that medical facilities stay afloat in the state.
“We’re going to have those health care facilities turning in their keys because they can’t do business in this state anymore,” Hataway said The fight has pinned two powerful groups against each other for the second year in a row at the Capitol. Nursing homes — who are prolific donors to state lawmakers and hold strong sway at the Capitol — have argued that trial lawyers use the lawsuits to line their pockets. Meanwhile, attorneys who represent patients say that if nursing homes focused as much on patient care as they have on concerns about legal verdicts, they would face fewer complaints in court. The Louisiana Nursing Home Association especially pinpointed one law firm, Garcia and Artigliere, as responsible for threatening to bankrupt their industry
Matt Coman, a New Orleans attorney with the firm, testified alongside several of his clients about the horrors that they’d seen at nursing homes whose management companies they said squeezed staffing to turn profits. Coman read out lines from depositions of management companies, who conceded that they do not provide health care despite the potential definition change.
He referenced how the management company of LTAC of Louisiana, which his firm sued, had scrapped a wound care nurse position from the company Coman represented a man who died of a bedsore there, and his family got a $2.2 million verdict against the long-term acute care facility
Family members of residents who were mistreated in Louisiana nursing homes waited all day to testify at the hearing, which was initially scheduled for Wednesday morning but did not end until after 9 p.m.
Drema Cambre testified about the infections and sepsis that her mother Grace St. Pierre, developed at Chateau St. James in Lutcher Cambre said she only discovered after her mother’s death that she had fallen 35 times at the facility
Cambre sued Priority Management Group, which runs the nursing home along with more than a dozen others across Louisiana. During a trial last year in St. James Parish, the judge found that the nursing home company violated discovery orders by withholding emails relevant to the case. Those included a warning that a staffer sent to management saying residents were suffering because the nursing home did not have enough staff. A St. James Parish jury awarded Cambre $3.5 million in the case.
“Chateau St. James was significantly understaffed when my mother resided there,” Cambre said. “I understand this bill will protect nursing home companies like Priority Management who understaff nursing homes for greater profit at the expense of good care for the people who live there, like my mother.”
Geoffrey Stewart described visiting his mother Cynthia, at a nursing home in Church Point where she developed pressure ulcers because staff did not turn her every two hours. He said he paid $7,400 each month
for her stay Stewart has a lawsuit pending against Acadia St. Landry Nursing & Rehabilitation; it’s still going through a medical review panel and has not yet reached district court in Lafayette.
“Whenever I visited, I had to go search for employees to come and turn my mother,” he said. “I had to bring cash with me every time I went to give money to come and turn my mother In the end, she suffered terribly.”
Other attorneys critiqued the law as well.
Attorney Chip Wagar, who represents patients in medical malpractice cases, referenced another case in Ascension Parish. Staff strapped an elderly woman into a wheelchair, did not check on her and she slipped down and was asphyxiated by the strap, he said.
The nursing home faced an administrative negli-
gence lawsuit. Those types of incidents should not be covered under medical malpractice, he said.
“This would take misrepresentation, fraud and conduct having nothing to do with medicine, and sweep it under the [Medical Malpractice] Act to limit that nursing home to $100,000,” he said.
State Sen. Jay Luneau, DAlexandria, grilled nursing home representatives about how the bill would work, reupping a line of questioning that he started last year in the bill’s initial version. He asked how creating such an expansive definition of medical malpractice would affect someone’s ability to sue if they fell on a spill on a nursing home floor
“The simple fact is that medical malpractice covers unintentional torts that occur during the delivery of health care,” Hataway said.
“If a person slips and falls in a hospital, I don’t see how that’s an unintentional during the delivery of health care.”
Luneau said the bill was “the most broadly written bill” he’d ever seen. “It appears to me that the wording of this is very broad and very encompassing, and everything would be malpractice,” he said. In the end, Luneau was the only member of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee to vote against the bill. Along with Pressly, those voting in favor were Sens. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, D-Monroe; Heather Cloud, R, Turkey Creek; Bob Hensgens, R-Abbeville; Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs; and Robert “Bob” Owen, RSlidell. Chairman Patrick McMath, R-Covington, did not vote. The bill heads next to the Senate floor
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP
Trucks drive down Stewart Street past a building surrounded by floodwater after heavy rain fell overnight causing street flooding in Lafayette.
Water is poured into the street after being vacuumed up from inside Pop’s Poboys on Thursday
Summit focuses on midsize cities
Chattanooga mayor headlines keynote session
BY KRISTIN ASKELSON | Staff writer
Big Towns, a summit celebrating midsized cities and what they do to thrive, on Thursday wrapped up two days of discussions with a keynote session with Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mayor Tim Kelly Kelly was interviewed by former New York Times editor Dean Baquet and discussed the problems
cities like Lafayette and Chattanooga face and how residents can work together to overcome them Kelly grew up in Chattanooga and attended undergraduate school at Columbia University in New York.
Upon returning to Chattanooga, he expanded his family’s automotive dealership and launched several successful ventures, including cofounding Chattanooga’s professional soccer club.
While running the family business, Kelly said, he became skilled at solving problems. He thought those skills would make him an effective mayor, as opposed to running for a legislative office.
“I ran my campaign on potholes,” he said. “Look, if we can’t fix potholes, what are we here for? We solve people’s problems, that’s
what we do.
“I would be a really (bad) legislative politician,” he said. “But I am really good at starting things and running things.”
He was recently sworn in for his second term as mayor Near the top of his list of accomplishments is the adoption and evolution of One Chattanooga, a strategic plan for the city
The idea, Kelly said, was to make Chattanooga a place where every resident has the opportunity to thrive and prosper The plan has the
On the bright ride
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP
Cyclists start the 2025 Cycle Zydeco bike ride at Staybridge Suites in Lafayette on Thursday. At Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole Cycling Festival, riders experienced five days of Cajun and Creole culture, including plenty of food, live music, swamp tours, crawfish boils and this year’s Festival International. The ride got a late start because the route to Breaux Bridge had to be changed due to flooded roads from the heavy rain TOP: Cyclists wear decorations on their helmets at the start of the 2025 Cycle Zydeco bike ride at Staybridge Suites on Thursday
State legislators consider new tax on vape products
Bill would levy 33% of total cost
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN | Staff writer
The Louisiana Legislature is considering changing how vape products are taxed in a way that is widely expected to increase the price of those products.
Advocates for House Bill 517 by state Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, say it would lower youth vaping rates and health care costs. Opponents do not think it would serve as an effective deterrent to vaping and would instead simply tack on new costs for Louisianans already struggling with their checkbooks.
Those views came head-tohead during a House Ways and Means Committee meeting on
Tuesday, when the panel decided to send HB517 to the full House for a vote. The committee’s Democrats all voted in favor of the bill, while Republicans were split. Currently, vape products are taxed based on the amount of liquid in them, at 15 cents a milliliter HB517 would instead tax vape products and electronic cigarettes at 33% of their total price.
Those taxes are mostly paid by wholesalers, though the costs are often passed on to consumers.
Brass said HB517, which Gov Jeff Landry’s administration backed, was meant to address the youth vaping crisis by deterring the practice.
“Ultimately, my goal is to put our kids first,” he said, adding
See VAPE, page 4B
following objectives:
n Build a universal path to early learning
n Catalyze economic vitality in the Black community
n Ensure affordable housing choices for all Chattanoogans
n Improve local infrastructure and public transit
n Build a competitive regional economy
n Close the gaps in public health
ä See SUMMIT, page 4B
College student loan repayments to resume
Collections to start May 5, officials say
BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration warned Tuesday that borrowers who haven’t had to pay down their college student loans during the past few years will be expected to start repayments on May 5 — or soon have to answer to debt collectors and possibly have their paychecks docked.
“The Trump administration will never force taxpayers to pay student loan debts that don’t belong to them,” Karoline Leavitt, President Donald Trump’s press secretary, said during a Tuesday news conference. “Borrowers will now be clearly expected to repay their loans, and those who default on their loan obligations will face involuntary collections.”
The U.S. Department of Education estimated that more than 42 million people hold student loans underwritten by the federal government, totaling more than $1.6 trillion in debt. More than 5 million have not made a repayment in the past year, the department said Monday evening in an announcement that the repayments would begin again.
Back in 2020, Invest in Louisiana, a Baton Rouge-based left-of-center think tank, calculated that 614,700 Louisiana residents held $21.3 billion in outstanding student debts.
Trump, during his first term, paused repayment requirements in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joe Biden delayed restarting the payments.
Biden tried several avenues to allow for limited repayments or to forgive up to $20,000 of the debt for some borrowers. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Biden did not have authority to forgive debt. He then adjusted the regulations to reduce some repayments and forgive some debtors based on family size and income. That plan was also stalled by the courts.
Man pleads guilty in ‘chop shop’ case
Multistate operation netted over $250,000
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR | Staff writer
A Broussard man has pleaded guilty in federal court in connection with the alleged operation of a “chop shop” for stolen vehicles and equipment across four states that netted more than $250,000.
Christopher Don Byerley, 45, of Broussard pleaded guilty to various federal charges before U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson, according to a news release by acting U.S. Attorney April Leon of the Middle District of Louisiana. Byerley pleaded guilty to:
n Conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle.
n Altering, removing and obliterating a vehicle identification number
n Possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices.
n Conspiracy to trafficking a firearm and receipt of a trafficked
firearm.
n Receipt of a trafficked firearm.
n Possession of an unregistered silencer
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Byerley admitted as part of a guilty plea that between October 2021 and March 2022 he worked with co-conspirators Robert Gregory Brazell, Adrienne Marie King and Dennis Loyd Sizemore on a “coordinated and complex operation” that stretched across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.
The group, according to the news release, stole and subsequently used or sold the stolen and altered vehicles, including tractors, excavators, forklifts and a pickup, with a total value of more than $250,000.
The scheme involved fraudulent documentation, a “chop shop” for equipment disassembly and tampering, a false business front such as “Hevyquip L.L.C.” to sell stolen equipment, altering Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and the use of surveillance evasion tools,
such as GPS signal blockers, vehicle plate flippers and fake driver’s licenses, according to the release. They also allegedly used more than 400 identities and access devices to evade detection. Byerley, a convicted felon, also allegedly used a third party to illegally buy a firearm that was later fitted with an unregistered silencer, according to the Attorney’s Office. Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives investigating a February 2022 shoplifting incident, the release states, uncovered items from a stolen truck being driven by Byerley
The items included a functional, unregistered firearm silencer; an FN Model 509 9 mm pistol and ammunition; and documentation detailing parts orders for silencers all in Byerley’s handwriting; multiple text messages and photographs pointing to intent to traffic firearms and circumvent federal regula-
OPINION
Give locals authorityovercarboncapture
The head of the octopus starts in Cancer Alley,and tentacles spread throughout the state. Representatives of two distinctly different Louisiana nonprofit environmental groups, from very different parts of the state and with seemingly different bases and interests, have collaborated as private citizensto inform politicians that thecarbon capture and sequestration issue is out of control. Afew politicos and fat cats in Baton Rouge want to risk everything for little benefit to the people.
Members of RISE St. James and the Louisiana CO2 Alliance have joined together to inform the public about the importance of House Bill 4, which authorizes aparish governing authority to determine whether carbon dioxide injection wells may be permitted within its jurisdiction.
Republican state Rep. Charles Owen has introduced the bill. The bill includes three additional Republicanco-sponsors.
Politicians in this state have thrived on our divided environmental politics. Those days are over
TheLouisiana CO2 Alliance is nowworking with activists throughout thestate to stop Baton Rouge from imposing wasteful, taxpayer-funded carbon capture andsequestration schemes on communities that don’t want them and won’t benefit from them.
Carbon capture is aprocess by which carbon dioxide pollution is captured before being emitted into the atmosphere. Instead, it is liquefied andshippedvia pipeline to be injected into the earth and massive caverns.
What connection exists between activists in southwestern Louisianaand throughoutthe stateand theRiver Parishes, such as RISE St.James? Thinkofthe river parishes as the head of the octopus and all of thenew pipelines that will originate from there throughout therestofthe state as the tentacles.
These projectsthreaten the state’smost valuable drinking water aquifers andnatural resources, livelihoods and way of life. The Chicot aquifer in the southwest is asignificantsource of groundwater in theregion, in-
AI is helpinginhealth care,but misguided regulationswillhurt
In Louisiana, we face significant challenges when accessinghealth care, food and transportation for medical care. These struggles aren’t distant —they impact our families and the communities we belongto. Yet, too many of our citizens still struggle to get thecare they need when they need it most. Primary care is the gateway to health care,capturing more than 500 million office visits a year.About 90% of our more than 230,000 primary care physicians are using electronic health records thatcontain rich, actionable datafor our health and for innovation.However, the data on how to keep ushealthy remains often untouched or out of reach for medical professionals.
cluding all or parts of Allen, Jeff Davis, Beauregard, Calcasieu and 11 more parishes.The Air Productsproject starting up in Ascension Parish would store millions of tons of CO2 beneathLake Maurepas, anational treasure, one of the nation’sfew remaining wilderness marshlands. There are significant concerns about groundwater contamination.Nocontainment is perfect.
When theEarth forms tiny
sures and cracks, this allows CO2 to escape. As CO2 travels through cracks, it extracts heavy metals such as manganese and anaturally occurring form of radiation called radium, knowntocause human cancer.These are carried into theaquifer and can make thewater unsafeand unhealthy, costing millions in treatment and healthcare costs. In addition, southeastern Louisiana’sclimate is prime forcorrosion.
Finally,there is the taking of our rights. Eminent domain, the legal process that allows lands to be obtained in the public benefit, is being perverted to allow the taking of private land forindustrial benefit. Let’sbereal. Most of us will see no benefit —not in our schools, universities or public services. This is plain bad, no matter whether you’re aRepublican, Democrat or any other party affiliation. This is beyond politics. It’s about healthy living, which is the greatest form of wealth and one that mostLouisianans understand and value. We all have something at stake. HB4 is pending in the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. We need you. We need your voice. The waytoahealthy Louisiana is to take care of our environment and give the people a voice. That’swhy we call on each of you to express your opinion, get involved and call, email or write your own state representative and tell them what you think about HB4.
Sharon C. Lavigneisthe founder of RISE St.James.Roland Hollins is an AllenParish police juror
Homeless strategy in N.O. is working, so move it forward
Arelativelynew and critical way we can start addressing these challenges is through the use of artificial intelligence in health care. AI has the potential to improve efficiency, enhance patient careand helpbridge the gaps in our health care system However,there has been movement within the Louisiana state government to limit the use of AI in health care, which could preventusfrom fully utilizing this innovativetechnology Any regulations surroundingAI must be developedwith aclear understanding of how it worksand how it canimprove care. Those crafting these policiesmust engage with health care professionals whoare working on both the clinical and technologicalsides on ways tobest implement and leverage AI to improve health outcomes. Lawmakers must trust the experts who understandthe technology and its enormous potential to transform health care AI, like any tool, can havebothbenefits and risks. But overregulating it, as some states like Colorado and California have done, would deny patients the opportunity to benefit from atechnology that could help them
live longer and healthier lives. On the other hand,misusing AI, like any tool, could certainly cause harm. The key is to approach AI with balance, creatingguardrails to AI implementation that do not holdback development or utilization of the technology In Louisiana, institutions like LSU Health Sciences Center andFranciscan Missionaries of OurLady Health System are alreadypartnering with Duke University to advance AI in health care, making it moreaccessible and allowing us to democratize this technology for communities across the state. If anew drug were developed that could save lives, we would want it outthere as quickly as possible.
The same should be true for AI. AI hasalready improved our healthcare system, streamlined administrative tasks, enhanced clinical trials,aided in disease diagnosis and even assisted with imaging and radiation therapy
AI can further help alleviate some of theburden on our health care system, especially given theshortageofphysicians, medical staff, and hospital beds in Louisiana. By reducing the time spent on administrative tasks, AI allows health care providers to focusmore on patient care. It’s alreadybeingused to match patients with clinical trials, assist with data management andeven predict health outcomes in ways that improve preventativecare.
Louisiana must not shy away from innovation. While AI is still in its early stages in health care, it’salready making adifference. To limit its use is to prevent Louisiana from moving forward andaddressing some of the most pressing healthcare challenges ourstate has. Let’smove forward with caution, but also with purpose.
Together,wecan ensure that AI benefits all Louisianans
Dr.Tonya Jagneaux is chief medical informatics officer at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge.
New Orleans’ recentevents, placing it on the national stage, have demonstrated theneed for collaboration and long-term, cost-effective measures to tackle the homelessness crisis. As we work to ensure that every resident has access to stable housing and supportive services,wemust also demand accountability and transparency in how we approach those solutions Now that the state-runtemporary transitional shelter on France Road haswound down, we want to underscore theurgent need to return to amore coordinated, sustainable and cost-effective strategy to address homelessness in our city moving forward.
We know what works. Cities across the country have seen success through evidencebased approaches like Housing First, which prioritizes getting individuals into stable housing while providing wraparound services, including mental health care, addiction treatment and workforce development. From ahealth perspective, individuals living on thestreets face incredibly high risks of acute and chronic disease and mortality —withlife expectancies nearly 30 years shorter than average. Stable housing is a direct and proven “treatment” forimproved healthand longevity.
Since February2024, the city hasimplemented this strategyand housed atotal of 822 individuals through the Home ForGood program, closing eight major encampments in areas like Tchoupitoulas,Tremeand the Calliope corridor
This effortisacomprehensive initiative designed to addressunsheltered homelessnessinthe city.
The program is theoutgrowthofCity Council District B’scollaboration with the NewOrleans Health Department, whichled us to create theOffice of Homeless Services and Strategy and bring on nationalexperts Clutch Consulting,led by Mandy Chapman Semple. Analysis of the encampment closures alone reveals that rates of emergency calls for service drop significantly after homelesspeople living there are rapidly housed, making the areas safer forthe surrounding communitywhile providing permanent,stable housing for formerly unhoused
individuals. The yearly costtohouse an individualthrough the Home for Good programisroughly $21,844, substantial savings compared to an average of $51,000 to jail someone or up to $55,000 in emergency room andrehousing costs.
In comparison, the state-run shelter—ata costof$17 millionto$19 million to temporarily shelter at most 200 people forjust two anda half months —adds up to acostofanywhere from $85,000 to $105,000 perperson— withoutfactoring in casemanagementoressentialwraparound services nowthatthe shelterisclosed.
The per-personcost could be even higher depending on whatthe final cost of the temporary shelterturns outtobe.
We arecalling on the state to partnerwith us in expanding the Home ForGoodprogram andinvest in proven, sustainable and costeffective solutions.
To house the remaining individuals from our1,500-persongoalbythe end of 2025, we need an additional $8.2 millioninstate generalfunds —less than half the cost of the temporary shelter— to provide stable housing andcasemanagement for 375 people Additionally,werequire $2 million for critical public andshelter improvements to ensure short-term shelter options and closure maintenanceofformer encampments can continue.
Addressing homelessness requires acoordinated, committed system of public, private andnonprofit partners —and avariety of evidence-based solutions ratherthanan unproven“onesize fits all” approach. Home for Good, rooted in the principles of Housing First, addressesthe public health and life safety dangers of encampment living quickly andhumanely,while providing longterm, cost-effective permanent solutions thatbenefitall.
The results speak for themselves, and New Orleansisleading the way—weinvite all partners in Louisiana to join in andsupport Home ForGood
Lesli Harrisisthe NewOrleans City Councilmember forDistrict B. Dr.Jennifer Avegnoisthe head of theNew Orleans HealthDepartment.
Jennifer Avegno GUEST COLUMNIST
Lesli Harris GUEST COLUMNIST
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO
The Mississippi River industrial corridor from NewOrleans to Baton Rougecould become the source for acarbon emissions capture and storagecomplex.
ROOM FOR DEBATE IMMIGRATION
The wrongful deportation ofKilmar AbregoGarcia, aSalvadoran manwho crossed the border illegally and was living in Maryland, hasigniteda firestormaround the Trumpadministration’streatmentofmigrantsand defiance of courtorders. Officialsadmit theman was sent to aprison in El Salvador by mistakebut insist they can do nothing about it now. Meanwhile, his family members and supporters are putting pressure on the administrationtosecure his release. Some Democrats see an ominous precedentifAbregoGarcia’sdetention is allowedtostand.Are aggressivedeportation efforts veering into lawlessness? Hereare twoperspectives.
Thewrong narrative is hiding thetruth
In politics, creating andthen owning thenarrative is the best waytodeceive the public, especially when acompliant media helps promote it and ignores later information that contradicts the initial narrative. Such has been the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, anative of El Salvador, who violated U.S. immigration laws andhas lived in Maryland for the last 13 years The media describe him as a “Maryland man” simply because he has been living in that state, butfor feweryears than he lived in hisnative country
Themystery of one immigrant’sdetention
Cal Thomas
The Department of Homeland Security characterizes him quite differently.Assistant Department ofHomeland Security
Secretary Tricia McLaughlin hasanalternative and accurate narrative:“Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member, illegal alien from El Salvador,and suspected human trafficker.The facts revealhewas pulled over with eightindividuals in acar on an admitted three-day journeyfrom Texas to Maryland with no luggage.The facts speak for themselves, and they reek of human trafficking.The media’ssympathetic narrative about this criminalillegal gang member has completely fallen apart. We hear far too much about the gang members and criminals’ false sob stories and not enough about their victims.”
Abrego Garcia has also been described in some media reports as a“family man.” In 2021 his wife applied foraprotective order,saying he beat her.Hehas admitted never to have been alegal U.S.resident. In April 2019, an immigration judge ordered him detaineduntil adeportation hearing. In October of that year,another immigration judge ordered AbregoGarcia deported, but the orderwas never overturned and has never expired,and he remained in Maryland
Donald Trump was presidentin2019. He must have missed that one. Last week, Sen. Chris VanHollen,a Democrat and areal “Maryland man,”
visited Abrego Garcia in his upgraded prison surroundings and cameback claiming Abrego Garcia had been denied “due process.” As noted, Abrego Garcia received due process before two immigration judges. Is VanHollen that misinformed? Several Republicans and conservative commentators have noted VanHollen has said virtually nothing about the victims of MS-13 and victims of other criminal aliens.
Does VanHollen think this is the best way for Democrats to improve their dismalpoll numbers? Maybe he should join Sen.Bernie Sanders, theVermont democratic socialist,and AOC, asocialist congresswoman from New York, on their anti-oligarchy road show.There areprobably afew seatsavailable on that large $15,000 per hour private jet ferrying them around. Oh,the carbon footprints they are leaving!
President Trumpran on and won largely on closing the border and deportingthosewho broke the law to come to America. Polls show amajority still support hisdeportation efforts.
Last week the mother of Rachel Morin appeared in the White House briefing room. Patty Morin described how her daughter,amother of five, was raped and murdered andher body stuffed in atunneldrain.WhiteHouse Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asked where was Van Hollen’ssympathy for her and other victims?
Good question. Isense acampaign theme for Republicans in next year’scongressional elections with relatives of others who have beenraped andmurdered tellingtheir stories to the public. Votersare largely on their side and not on the side of Democrats who have again picked thewrong issue, mistakenly hoping it will return them to power
Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@tribpub. com
After all the talking and arguing about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, theillegal border-crosser and alleged gang member deported by theUnited States and now imprisoned in El Salvador,there is still afundamental unanswered question about the case: Why is he imprisoned in El Salvador?
“Wedeport many people to El Salvador,” notes ArtArthur,alongtime immigration judge who now studies the subject for theCenter for Immigration Studies. “Generally,they arrive at the airport, walk out and live their lives. Why is Abrego Garcia in prison?”
Someofwhat follows is based on arecent conversation with Arthur There was speculation involved because there is much we don’tknow about the case. We started with the bigquestion.
“Why did theSalvadoran governmentput this guyinjail —that’sa question Idon’tknow,” Arthur said. “What Ithink is that everybody has this case backwards. People think President Donald Trumpthrew this guy out of the U.S. because he wants to throw out all MS-13 in the U.S. It makes moresense that theSalvadoran government asked for this guy back.”
“There’snoreason why the Trump administration would want this guy in jail in El Salvador,” Arthur concluded. “Aslong as he is out of theUnited States, that’swhat we care about. The only organization that would want him in jail in El Salvador is the governmentofEl Salvador.”
There’snodoubt that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has been waging an intense and enormously successful war against gangs in his country.He’spretty much put an end to Barrio 18, which played arole in theAbrego Garcia case. And he has done alot of damage to MS-13.
We know that the Trumpadministration agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison about 300 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua whowere sent earlier this year.Given that the U.S. says the TdA members work with the Venezuelan government, it would makesense not to send them back to Venezuela, and send them to El Salvador instead. And we know that Bukele put them,along with the Salvadoran members of MS-13 the U.S. also sent back, in the notorious CECOT prison.
“There must be somereason that the Salvadoran government put Abrego Garcia into the prison that they put all the MS-13 members into,” Arthur said. “As Iunderstand it, it’s strictly agang prison.” Arthur added that Abrego Garcia’soriginal alibi, from his 2019 run-in with U.S. immigration authorities, wasthat his family had been extorted by Barrio 18 over the profits of their small pupusa business and that therefore he feared returning to El Salvador.Itisaclassic gang tale, Arthur said. Meanwhile, Abrego Garcia is no longer aresident of CECOT;welearned from the visiting Democratic Sen. Chris VanHollen of Maryland that, under the intense glare of publicity, Salvadoran authorities moved Abrego to alower-security facility in Santa Ana. At least four House Democrats have traveled to El Salvador to line up to see Abrego Garcia, whohas becomeamuch sought-after figure in Democratic politics. But at the bottom of it all, we still don’tknow whyAbrego Garcia is in prison. Knowing the answer to that essential question would take us along way toward understanding this latest Trumpadministration cause celebre. Byron York is on X, @Bryon York
Byron York
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByJOSE LUIS MAGANA
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, thewife of Kilmar AbregoGarciaofMaryland,who wasmistakenly deported to El Salvador,speaks during anewsconferenceatCASA’sMulticultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., on April 4.
Venezuelan man pleads guilty to sextrafficking
Faces15years to life in prison
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
AVenezuelan national who led amultistate prostitutionring that spilled into Baton Rouge lastyear now faces 15 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking.
Josmar Jesus ZambranoChirinos stood before U.S. District Judge John deGravelleson Wednesday and confessed to sex trafficking by force, fraudorcoercion during ahearing at the Russell B. Long U.S. District Courthouse in downtownBatonRouge.
Zambrano-Chirinos, 24,was part of the Tren de Aragua, or TdA,a transnational criminal organizationthat originated in anorthern province of Venezuela.Federal authorities said he and others smuggled women into theU.S.and forced them to have sex with random men for money to repaythe gang for helping them cross the border.
In exchangefor Zambrano-Chirinos’ guilty plea,federal prosecu-
Continued from page1B
that the bill also would improve health care outcomes and save the state money
Targetingyouth vaping
The 2023 Louisiana Youth Tobacco Survey found that nearly 1in3 high schoolers vaped. In Louisiana, you must be 21 to purchase vape products.But that doesn’talways happen, according to the survey,which said 4in5 youth reported being able to purchase vapes from stores.
Smoking caused $863.2 million in Medicaid costs in Louisiana, accordingtothe Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Eric Weinzettle,the AmericanLung Association’sdirector of advocacy for Louisiana,saida 10%increase in vaping costs is associated with a13% to 22% decrease in youth use. Youth are “one of the most price-sensitive populations,” Weinzettle said in an interview
Concerns aboutcosts
But others said they did not believe raising the cost of vape products would deter youth from using them.
In 2023, Louisiana passed alaw that took many popularflavored vapes, such as Elf Bars, off the shelves.
Jodi Buckner of Lyons Specialty Company,a wholesale grocery distributor,said that, because Louisiana limits which vape products may legally be sold, youth tend to use popular but“illicit” products Increasing taxesonlegally
GUILTY
Continued from page1B
torsagreed to dismiss asecond sex trafficking countand loweredthe offense level for hisfelony conviction for sentencing Judge deGravellesorderedprobation officers to conduct apresentencing report on Zambrano-Chirinos. The judge did not set adate for the sentencing hearing. The man could be deported by federal immigration officials.
When deGravelles asked if he was agreeing the plea deal because he is guilty,Zambrano-Chirinos expressed contrition for his crimes.
“Yes, your honor.I’m full of shame,” he answered through a translator Federal authorities describe TdA, Venezuela’slargest gang, as abrutal criminal organization responsible for kidnappings, extortion, bribes, attacks on U.S. law enforcement officers and theassassination of aVenezuelan opposition figure. The group hasstrongholds in several South American countries, but its increasing presence in U.S. territories prompted the DepartmentofState in February to designate TdA as aglobal terrorist group as part of the Trump administration’s efforttoratchet up immigration enforcement
sold products, therefore, would do nothing to lower youth vape rates, she argued. Some Republican legislators also said they were skeptical the bill woulddeter youth from vaping.
“I’m sure all the representatives here know and understand how much pressure their constituents areunderwithincreased taxes, increased insurance. They’re going underwater,” said Rep.Beth Billings, R-Destrehan, who voted against sending the bill to the House. “I don’t see that kids are going to be paying this tax. Isee that adults will be paying the tax.”
Jack Casanova, president ofthe Louisiana Association of Wholesalers, said the bill could increase the tax on popular productsby as much as 600%.
Atax on afour-pack of Vuse Alto wouldgofrom $5 40 acarton to$31.20a carton, he said. Ultimately, HB517 made it outofcommittee in a9-6 vote
Butthe committeerejected another billthat wouldhave raisedthe tax on cigarettes from $1.08 per pack to $1.41 perpack
That proposal, House Bill 390, wassponsored by Mandie Landry,D-New Orleans.
Brasshas asecond bill, House Bill 398, which wouldincrease the taxon smokeless tobacco products, suchas chewing tobacco, from 20% of the invoice to 33%. The Ways and Means Committeehas not yet considered that bill.
Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan. friedmann@theadvocate. com.
tions; and numerous documents, records, emails, text messages and photos that ledlaw enforcement to uncover the conspiracy and criminal operation. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives(Baton Rouge and LafayetteField Divisions), Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Louisiana State Police (Latent PrintSection and the BureauofIdentification and Information), Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office,St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’sOffice,Lafayette ParishSheriff’s Office, Iberia Parish Sheriff’sDepartment and Lafayette Police Department Byerley has alonghistoryofcriminal activity in Lafayette Parishincludingdrug and theft charges dating from 2016-2024, according tothe Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court’s records.
Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate com.
Sex‘stashhouses’
TdA’s sex operation came onto the federal law enforcement’sradarweeksbeforethree Venezuelan nationals were arrested in Baton Rougelastyear. Specialagents from Homeland Security began investigatingafter theU.S.Border Patrol notifiedthemofthe prostitutionring on April 17, 2024. One of the female victimswas questioned by BorderPatrol agents at theEl Paso, Texas, crossing in March 2024 and began providing federal authorities information about the operation
She identified Zambrano-Chirinos as aleader and told investigators he ran TdA’s sex trafficking enterprise in the U.S. She alsoidentified his girlfriend, OsleidyVanesa ChourioDiaz, as playing akey role,investigators alleged.
Zambrano-Chirinosentered the United StatesinDecember 2023 near Eagle Pass,Texas.
Border Patrol agents detained him andlater released him. He traveledtoNew Jersey, where he lived with arelativefor ashort period
Months later, he beganhis relationship with Chourio-Diaz, 27, who was living in Texasatthe time. The
n Provide responsive and effective local government
Where does the money comefrom to tackle this list?
Kelly said money is not the problem.
“The only place where money is an issue is earlychildhood development,” he said.
“By the time achild is 6years old, thebread’s baked.Ifyou don’tget thatright, nothing else matters.
“Everything elseisnot really an issue of money; it’s an issue of disentangling bureaucratic misalignment,” he said.“Theproblem is leadership and focus.”
Similarvalues, challenges Kelly noted similarities between Lafayetteand Chattanooga.
REPAYMENTS
Continuedfrom page 1B
Republicans,including U.S.Sen.Bill Cassidy,RBaton Rouge, have long criticized Biden’sefforts to erase student loan debt.
Cassidy,who chairsthe SenateHealth, Education,Labor and Pensions Committee, argued that Biden’splanfavored people who chose college over immediately going into the workforce, andalso was unfair to those who took out college loans and repaid them.
Cassidy wrote on social mediaTuesday: “During the Biden administration, theAmerican taxpayer has been forced to carry that burden. @usedgov (theDepartment of Education)issimply returning the responsibility paying back thedebttothose who willingly took out theloan This is common sense.”
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two decided to move to Louisiana to live together,and that brought them to BatonRouge. Here, they began their scheme to recruit prostitutes by bringing them into the U.S. illegally,according to federal charging documents
They rented an apartment in the 1600 block of South Harrell’sFerry Road for the womentoperform sex acts for money
One of the victims told authoritiesZambrano-Chirinoshad “stash houses”infive states where he set up women for the sex trade. She estimated he had 30 womenworking to payoff debts to the gang in Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, NewJersey andFlorida.
Zambrano-Chirinos facilitated the victims’ travel plans, bought them airline tickets to fly to Baton Rouge, and toldthemtotellimmigrationofficials andborderagents they was seeking asylum fromVenezuela.
ThewomansaidZambrano-Chirinospromised herimmigration paperwork, pledged to hook her up with an immigration attorney and get herwhole family entry into the U.S. When shearrivedinBaton Rouge, members of the group picked her up fromthe airport and
Both cities have strong philanthropiccommunities, he said. Chattanooga benefits from being thesiteofthe first Coca-Colabottlingfacility,still in business after 125 years, and Lafayette is home to generational oil and gas wealth.
He alsonoted thetension between thedesire forprogress andholdingontotraditional culture andvalues, describing the phenomenon as “living within dynamic tensions.”
“Because of remote work, we have abunch of young people who could live anywhere, but they choose to liveinChattanooga because of the quality of life,”hesaid “Then we have peoplewho have lived theretheir whole lives and don’twant anything to change.
“I’m not saying we don’t want progress,”hesaid. “But we don’twant growthjust for
thesakeofgrowth.”
Federalcutbacks
took her to buy clothes and makeup, then transported her to the apartment,where she beganworking. Three people were arrested last year andindicted forallegedly running the sex trafficking operation in BatonRouge after adistressed Spanish-speaking womancalled 911 fromthe SouthHarrell’sFerry Road apartment on April 26, 2024, andtolddispatchersshe andanother victim were being held captive.WhenEastBaton Rouge deputies responded to the apartment, officers found astack of cash, lubricants, used condoms and other evidenceofa trafficking operation Federal prosecutors saidofficers also seizeda ledgerthatshowed how much money the two women earned each day and also kept a running tally of how much both victims owed Alber Herrera Machado,24, was taken into custodyatthe apartment. Federal investigators described him as the women’shandler,hired by Zambrano-Chirinos as an “enforcer” to keep watch over them and manage their rendezvous with clients. Herrera and Chourio-Diaz have both pleaded notguiltyand arestill fighting theirrespective cases
fordable housing andhealth inequities.
Kelly saidthatsince2016, the world hasbecome even more challenging for big towns like Chattanooga and Lafayette, both situated in very conservative states.
“I think there is avery distinct thick glass ceiling between major markets and the rest of us,” he said. “It’s been alow boil for years. There’sasense of alienation thatled to people’s desire to break things. Economically, we are living on these cold outer planets, in these quaint hometowns. It’snot working forsmall-town America, so they’re willing to try something.”
He acknowledged that the jobisevenmoredifficult today,asthe federal government cuts back on many of the programsdesigned to help with issues such as af-
However,local governmentsare much better situated to deal with those problems than the federal government, he said.
In particular, he said, “Community foundations are so important to midsize cities, especially now as the federal government is cutting back.
“Great cities are composed of great neighborhoods,” he said. “Our job is to support those neighborhoods to be the best versions of themselves.” Big Towns, atwo-day summit organized by The Current andthe UnitedWay of Acadiana, brings speakers from across the country to discuss problems, solutions and ideas often seen in midsize cities.
EmailKristin Askelson at kaskelson@theadvocate. com.
Salinda, Velo earn spotlight in first round of Zurich
PGA Tour rookies set course record
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
When the Zurich Classic began on a gloomy Thursday morning, the focus was all on the marquee pairing of 2024 champions Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy, the latter making his first competitive swings since an historic and emotional Masters win two weeks ago. By the time the day ended, at least some of the spotlight was shared by the out-ofleft-field, left coast duo of Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo, who set the course record while prompting fans at TPC Louisiana and watching on television to ask, “Who are those guys?”
Those guys, childhood friends from the San Francisco Bay area, sank just about every putt they looked at en route to breaking the course record with a 14-under par 58 in the four ball (best ball) format, with both players hitting their own ball and recording the best score The existing course record of 59 had been tied just about an hour and a half earlier by the brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark.
A pair of PGA Tour rookies fresh off the feeder Korn Ferry Tour, the 28-year-old Salinda and 27-year-old Velo have a combined world ranking of 526 (Salinda 163, Velo 363) Velo has missed the cut in eight of 10 tournaments so far this year, while Salinda has a third in the Mexico Open to his credit. But on this day they bested major champions like McIlroy, Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner with a
ä See ZURICH, page 3C
and
Kevin
nishing the first round of the Zurich Classic on Thursday at TPC Louisiana in Avondale.
UL’s sweep of South Alabama catapulted team’s confidence
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The outlook in the Sun Belt Conference race has changed dramatically for the UL Ragin’ Cajuns after last week’s home sweep of South Alabama.
Heading into this weekend’s critical road series at second-place Texas State, suddenly coach Alyson Habetz’s club is another series win away from the top four in the league standings. The series begins at 6 p.m. Friday in San Marcos, followed by 2 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday The Cajuns (23-23, 9-9) are currently in seventh place one game out of fifth and two games out of third. App State (20-23, 10-8) and Marshall (26-21, 10-8) are currently just ahead of UL and they to have road series — App State at Southern Miss (21-24, 8-9) and Marshall at third-place Georgia Southern (27-20, 11-7)
Miami QB Ward selected No. 1 overall by Tennessee Titans; LSU OT Campbell makes history with No. 4 selection
The New Orleans Saints’ draft selection happened after this edition went to press. For complete coverage, visit theadvocate.com
BY ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer
GREEN BAY,Wis. — Cam Ward has gone from zero-star recruit to No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Travis Hunter is taking his versatility to Jacksonville following a blockbuster deal. After the Tennessee Titans selected Ward first overall, the Jaguars moved up from No. 5 to select the Heisman Trophy winner with the second pick. Hunter, a playmaking wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado, wants to become the first full-time, twoway player in the NFL since Chuck Bednarik did it with the Philadelphia Eagles more than 60 years ago.
The Jaguars gave the Cleveland Browns a ton to give Hunter that opportunity The Browns got Jacksonville’s first-round pick (No. 5), picks Nos. 36 and 126, and a firstrounder in 2026. The Jaguars also receive fourth- and sixth-round picks in this draft.
First-place UL-Monroe (33-16, 13-5) will host Texas State (30-16, 12-6) next weekend.
“Last week, we needed that,” Habetz said. “Good for your team and good for our confidence. We’ve been on the wrong side of those winning games and to finally get on the winning side of that definitely helped our confidence level and catapulted us into Friday and Saturday
“I think this team is buying in now into what’s ahead and we keep saying the best is yet to come. So hopefully that continues as we go west.” The key in the matchup against Texas State is scoring enough runs against the Bobcats’ 1-2 punch in the circle. Ace Madison Azua is 19-7 with a 2.50 ERA with two saves and 178 strikeouts in 157 innings. Emma Strood is 9-6 with a 3.09 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 90.2 innings.
“It all starts in the circle,” Habetz said. “Texas State already has two really good
The Titans explored their options with the first pick before it became clear a few weeks ago that Ward would be their man.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement to kick off the draft, which for the first time was held next to historic Lambeau Field. The NFL’s smallest market is hosting the league’s biggest offseason event as thousands of fans from across the country traveled to Titletown for the festivities.
Goodell rode a bicycle onto the draft stage and was followed by former Packers stars Clay Matthews, Jordy Nelson, Mason Crosby, Ahman Green and James Jones, as well as rap megastar and Green Bay superfan Lil Wayne. As usual, fans booed Goodell when he opened the extravaganza.
Titans fans cheered inside the draft theater after hearing Ward’s name was called.
See NFL, page 3C
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
Cajuns
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
starting pitcher Chase Morgan delivers
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Velo, left,
Isaiah Salinda hug after fi
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT LUDTKE
Miami quarterback Cam Ward, right, poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by the Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick during the first round of the draft on Thursday in Green Bay, Wis.
On TV
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Mobley wins defensivePOTY
BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer
Evan Mobley said his goal coming into the season with theCleveland Cavaliers was to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
He got it done.
The Cavs consider Mobley to be their best defensiveplayer, and the league thought evenmore highly of him. Mobley held off fellow finalists Dyson Daniels of Atlanta and Draymond Greenof Golden State for the award, the results being announced Thursday night in abroadcast on TNT
“It just feels great to finally get this award,” Mobley said.
Saying “finally” might be abit of astretch. Mobley is only 23 —the fifth-youngest player to win the award, joining fellow23-year-olds Dwight Howard, JarenJackson Jr Alvin Robertson and Kawhi Leonard as winners of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy Mobley won the award in aseason where he was an All-Star for the first time and set acareer high for scoring.
“That was going hand-in-hand all year,” Mobley said. “I was trying to figure out how Icould be more offensively productive andstill maintain my defensive style and
prowess. So,I feellike Idid agood job this year anditclearly shows.”
But thecaseCleveland coach Kenny Atkinsonmade for Mobley was how different the Cavaliers’ defensivenumbers were with Mobleyonthe courtand without. Put simply,with him onthe court,they were airtight “It’sahugedip, like 12 places or something,” Atkinson said. “That really screamsout,tome. Probably the No. 1stat that Ilook at.”
It was awide-open race withseven players gettingatleastone firstplacevoteand Mobley getting the top spot on only 35% of theballots There was aconsensus, however, that he wasatop-three player Mobleywas listed somewhere on 85% of ballots, by far themost of anyone in the DPOY chase.
Green won the award in 2017, was atop-three finisher for the fifthtime,and was bidding to become the 11th player in NBA history to win it at least twice. Mobley won it for the firsttime, after finishing thirdinthe voting in 2023 Daniels was afinalist for thefirst time.
Daniels was second in the voting, with Green third.
Daniels had 229 steals this season, the most in the NBA since Gary Paytonhad 231 for the Seattle SuperSonics in 1995-96. Daniels
wasalsothe first player to average more than 3.00 stealsper game sinceRobertsonfor the Milwaukee Bucks in 1990-91. Nate McMillanaveraged2.959 in 1993-94 for Seattle; John Stockton averaged
2.976 in 1991-92 for the Utah Jazz.
Earlier thisweek, Boston’sPayton Pritchard won sixth manof theyear and New York’sJalen Brunson wonclutch player of the year
Chippiness heatingupinNBA playoffs
BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter
INDIANAPOLIS
Theusually good-
natured Indiana Pacers star, Tyrese Haliburton, has shown he refuses to back down from his Milwaukee Bucks rival andfellow All-Star,Damian Lillard.
It’s been part of thechippiness and chirpingthat is beginning to heat up as it usually does during theNBA playoffs. Haliburton has asuccinct explanation for what fans have seen in Pacers’ series with the Bucks, saying the teams simply don’tlike one another It doesn’tseem there is much love lost between Golden State and Houston, or the Los Angeles Lakers and the MinnesotaTimberwolves. But for Milwaukee and Indiana, the animosity is about more than just one series. Haliburton responded when Lillard started chattering during atimeout in Game 1ofthisfirstround playoff series. He did it again when the players were jawing at one another late in Game 2. And if it happens again when the series resumes in Milwaukee, just ashort drive from Haliburton’s hometown of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, it will likely be more of the same. “He wants to win, Iwant to win and we’re in the highest level, the most contentious moment here in the playoffs,” Haliburton saidafter the Pacers took a2-0 series lead. “So it’sjust competition at the end of the day.But we don’thave to sit here and act like there’sany secret. We don’tlike
CONROy
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL
MilwaukeeBucks guard DamianLillard gestures after athree-point shot against the Indiana Pacers duringtheir game Tuesday in Indianapolis.
them, theydon’tlike us —that’s just what it is.
It’seasy to understand howthe Pacers-Bucks matchup reached this intensity —Game 3will be their18thmatchup since the start of last season and Milwaukeedesperatelywants to avoida thirdstraight first-round exit, the second straight to Indiana.
Ayear ago, Indiana won four of the five regular-season matchups and then ousted the Bucks 4-2 by winning three of the lastfour playoff games.
This year,Milwaukeewon three of four during the regularseason buthas lost thefirst two in the postseason, where chippiness is thenorm.
That’s just playoff basketball, whichcomes with heightened physicality.
But forthe two All-NBA guards in theIndiana-Milwaukeeseries, thestakes mayhave firstratcheted up when Haliburton celebrated adecisive 3-pointer in the final minute of Indiana’s128-119 victoryover Milwaukee in the 2023 NBA Cupsemifinals —stealing Lillard’ssignature Dame Time move by looking at his wrist. He’s done it sincethen, too.
And then, of course, there was last season’sdispute over aball, which sent two-timeleague MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo racing into thePacers locker room afterhe’dscored acareerhigh 64
points.
Milwaukee coach DocRivers believes the flareups that wereso common during his NBA playing career,one of the mostphysical eras in league history,are moreof asideshow.
“When yougive atech to two guys who don’tdoanything they were staring at each other, theyweren’tgoing to fight there’snotech needed,” he said, referring to an initial scuffle between Gary Trent Jr.and Pascal Siakam.“Like, sometimes, can we just get on with the damn game? Like, it’s ridiculous.Thattooklike 25 minutestosortout andnothing wasthere.” Siakam doesn’tseem terribly fazedbyany of it
“I meanifyou need an edge in the playoffs,” saidSiakam, who joined the Pacers in atrade in January 2024, “wehave problems.” Haliburton, who hasbeen apart of all the recent Milwaukee-Indiana showdowns, saysplaying the Bucks is different.
“Everybody says league rivalries aren’t here anymore.It’s right here,” thePacersguard said. “We’veplayedlikeamillion times over the last twoyears. I’ve seen every coverage they could throw at us, andIthink thoseguys probably feel the same way aboutus. But there are still alot of games to play, so I’m sure there will be more heated moments, more competitive moments.
“The extracurricular stuff is extracurricular,but it’s fun.
Costas wins Baseball Digest lifetime award
Bob Costas has won the fifth LifetimeAchievement Award presented by Baseball Digest. The longtime broadcasterwas honoredThursdaywith an annual distinction that “recognizes aliving individual whose career hasbeenspent in or around Major League Baseball and who has made significant contributions to the game.” Willie Mays wonthe inauguralaward in 2021, followedby VinScully (2022), Joe Torre (2023) and Dusty Baker (2024).Costas has hosted or called seven World Series, 10 League Championship Series andeight All-Star Games. He’sbeen with MLB Network since its inception in 2009. He stoppeddoing play-by-play following the2024 postseason but will continue to contributetothe network’scoverage.
Spire releases crew chief Childersafter 9races SpireMotorsports has parted ways with championship-winning crew chiefRodneyChilders after only nine races with the team Childers,one of thewinningest active crew chiefs in the Cup Series, won the 2014 championship with Kevin Harvick at StewartHaas Racing. When thatteam closed, Childers moved to Spire to crew chief Justin Haley Through the first nine races of theseason,Haley is 23rd in the Cup standings. His best finish this year is 10th at Homestead, but Haley is coming off a13th-place finish at Bristol, where he scored aseason-high 13 stage points. Ryan Sparks, competition director and former crew chief, will be Haley’screw chief forthe rest of this season.
Alcaraz blames injuries for Madrid withdrawal Home-crowd favorite Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from theMadrid Open on Thursday because of muscle injuries, saying he didn’twant to risk making things worse before the French Open. The third-rankedSpaniard blamedhis injuries on the “really tight”schedule that is part of the “demanding sport” of tennis. Alcaraz said he has not fully recovered fromthe upper leg ailment that bothered him during the BarcelonaOpenfinallastSunday. He also saidhehas aleftleg injury His first appearance at the Caja Magica in Madrid was scheduled for Saturday.Alcaraz is atwo-time champion in Madrid, having won in 2022 and 2023. He wasthe second seed this weekand in the same half of the draw as Novak Djokovic
Jones has been elected to join the HallofFame Twenty-one years after Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the chestnut colt has been elected to the National MuseumofRacing andHallof Fame.
TheHallofFameannounced Thursday thathewas thelone candidate in the contemporary category to appear on the majorityofballots,with 50%plusone vote required for election. It was his first year on the ballot.
BredinPennsylvania, Smarty Jones won eight of nine career starts andwon the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old males in 2004. Thatyear he became the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew with a 23/4-length victory
NBA great Kidd joins ownership of soccerclub
NBA great Jason Kidd has entered the soccer world by joining the ownershipgroup of English Premier League club Everton.
BY RODWALKER Staff writers
One of the New Orleans Pelicans key executives won’tbe returning.
Swin Cash, who served as senior vice president of basketball operations and player development, and the Pelicans are partingways, asourceconfirmedto The Times-Picayune.
The news was first reportedby Shamit Dua of In the N.O. Cash had worked with the Pelicans since 2019. It is thesecond major move in the Pelicans’ front office.
ThePelicansfired executive vicepresident of basketball operations David Griffin on April 14,the day after theteam finished theseason with a21-61 record. It’sthe second worst record in franchise history Cash, a3-time WNBA champion andinductee in both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Hall of Fame, was one of the first hires Griffin madewhenhetook over
the Pelicans in 2019.
“Winning is afrequency,and you don’tlearn how to tune to it unless you’ve hadtodoit, and Swin knows howtofind that frequency,” Griffin said when he hiredCash “She’s won championships at every levelofbasketball, and because of that, Iknowunequivocally she knows that championship frequency.She knowsthe thought process, and she understands howtoraise people to be that and to feel that.” It is oneofthe first keymoves JoeDumars has madesince he was named Griffin’sreplacement
earlier lastweek. According to a Tuesdayreport by Marc Spears of AndScape, Dumarshired Troy Weaver to becomethe team’s newsenior vice presidentofbasketball operations.
Weaver,like Dumars, hadpreviously worked with the Detroit Pistons. Cashretired fromthe WNBA in 2016 aftera stellarplaying career that included having her jerseynumberretired at UCONN and also winning two gold medals in the Olympics.
EmailRod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com
The Hall of Famepoint guard and current Dallas Mavericks coach said he was “honored” to join Roundhouse Capital Holdings, which is part of the Friedkin Group that took control of Everton last year
The group also ownsItalian team Roma. In astatement released ThursdaybyEverton,executive chairman Marc Watts said Kidd’s “knowledge andwinning mentalitywillbeanincredible resource.” Kidd won an NBAtitle as aplayer with the Mavericks in 2011 and was atwo-time Olympic gold-medal winner withthe U.S. national team
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SUE OGROCKI Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobleyreaches forarebound between Miami Heat forward AndrewWiggins, left, and Bam Adebayoon WednesdayinCleveland.
An overlooked highschool player out of Texas,Ward beganhis college career atIncarnate Word, an FCS school in San Antonio. He played two seasons at Washington State after transferringtherein 2022 and then set school records in his only season at Miami, finishingfourth in Heisman Trophy voting. The Titans are coming off athree-win seasonand have missed the playoffs three straight years. Ward is the fourth quarterback Tennessee has drafted in thefirst round over the past two decades, joining Marcus Mari-
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brilliant roundthat included a front nine 10 under 26 also believed to be acourse record.
Asked what was working well for them, Salinda smiled and said: “Everything.” Velo was more expansive, and complimentaryofhis playing partner
“He made aton of putts,” Velo said. “He one-putted damnnear every greenit seemed like. Very easyto play golfwhenyou havea partner that’sstacking it and making alot of putts. Iwas on his back the whole day.
Salinda and Velo charged fromthe start with birdies on the first six holes before Salinda made a5-foot eagle putt on the par-5 seventh hole. That was followed by four more birdies through the 11th. The pair only made two birdies in the final seven holes, but it was more than enough as thetournament flips Friday to the considerably more demanding alternate shot format.
The conditions helped scoring for everyone. The lift, clean and place rule was in effect because of the
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host Southern Miss (27-13, 12-6) this weekend.
For UL to keep pace, sophomore left-hander Chase Morgan will need to regain his ace form.
“He’sjust going through alittle midseason (slump),” Deggs said. “He missed a coupleofweeks there and then he’scome rightback into the action. We extended him acouple of times. Ithink more than he’saccustomed.
“I think he’sgonethrough about two or three weeks of alittle fatigue and Ithink you should probably expect thattobeonthe rebound in the next outing or two and be better than he was before.” In his last two outings, Morgan has allowed eight runs and 16 hits in 8.1 innings.
“Against Old Dominion, it was just alack of fastball command and he got pigeon-
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pitchers.” UL figures to counter with astaff approach, starting with freshman Mallory Wheeler (9-8, 3.59 ERA)Friday and possibly Tyra Clary (5-4, 3.89 ERA) Saturday Sam Ryan (5-4, 3.37) and Bethaney Noble(4-6, 4.63) are also options.
“They complement each other verywell,” Habetz said. “Mal obviouslyhas the velo and she makes it move —Tyra has alittle velo,can makeitmove, but also hasa good changeup that’stough to hit. Then you have Sam whocan just hit spots —location, location, location
thatincludesPro Bowler
ota (No. 2, 2015), JakeLocker (No. 8, 2011) andVince Young(No. 3, 2006) Hunter wore aneon pink blazer and flashed abig smile after the Jaguars selected him. Hecaught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and15 touchdowns while making 35 tackles, breaking up 11 passes andpicking off four
The NewYorkGiantsselected Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter with the No. 3overall pick in the NFL draft Thursdaynight Carter,who led the country with 231/2 tackles for loss and had 12 sackslast season, bolsters aGiants defense that already has solid pass rushersinKayvonThibodeaux and Brian Burns anda strongD-line
threat of rainy weather that never materialized.The only wind kicked up brieflyasthe clouds burned off in the afternoon
“It was still alittle bit wet,” said Nicolai Hoggard, who teamed with his brother to birdie 10 of theirlast 11 holes after starting on the 10th. “Then the sun came outand you had perfect conditions. But there’sbarely (any) wind and we took advantage of that to start with.”
Theway bestballworks, one of theday’smostremarkable shots didn’tend up counting.
TomHoge, playing with McIlroyand Lowry, hit into the right rough on the426yard par-4 fifth hole. He muscled the ball out of the rough, and while doingso gouged about a4-inch long piece of cypress root that shotinthe fairway as his ball dancedtowithin five feet of thecup
ButHoge didn’t even have to attempt aputt because his partner KevinChappell, a Wednesday replacement aftertwo-time Zurich winner Billy Horschel withdrew, made his 12-footer for birdie to help the team get intoatie for11th with a9under63. Hoge and Chappellwere
holed into thecurve ball and changeup,”Deggs said. “He really neededthatfastball command. Ithink you’ll see himreboundthis weekend.”
UL’s pitching plans have been steadyonthe weekendwith Andrew Herrmann starting the middle game and JR Tolletshining in thefinale. Georgia Southern is expected to start right-handersBrady Pendley(3-0, 2.34 ERA) Friday and Kade Grundy(5-4, 4.22) Saturday Sunday’sstarter is undecided On the flip side, UL’s offense showed signs of findingsolutions. One of them is MaddoxMandino (.290, 6 RBIs, 5SBs) moving to the leadoffspot ahead of 2-hole hitter Drew Markle (.231, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs).
“He’selectric,” Deggs said of Mandino. “He’sgot speed andstrength –he’sstrong forhis size. Icomp Maddox and Ialways have with Johnny Damon. That’s who he reminds me of “It’sjust amatterofhim
Dexter Lawrence.
LSUoffensive tackle Will Campbell wasselectedNo. 4overall in the NFL draft Thursday night by the New England Patriots,making him the highest-drafted offensive lineman in school history
Campbell was thefirst offensive lineman off the board after quarterback Cam Ward, wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and edge rusherAbdul Carter BeforeCampbell, only one LSU offensivelineman had ever been picked in thefirst round of the NFL draft in the SuperBowl era. Alan Faneca, afuture Hall of Famer, wentNo. 26 overall in 1998 to thePittsburgh Steelers.
one stroke better thanLowry andMcIlroy.The latter was determined to honor his commitmenttoplayin New Orleanswith his friend and fellow Irishman despite coming down with acold and hardly touching aclub since claiming the Masters green jacket April 13.
Lowryhelped their team’s cause throughout the day, chipping in for birdie on the 10th hole (their first)and then making birdie on the par-4 11th. McIlroy made birdie out of the right rough on the par-4 first hole, then smashed alongsecond shot on the par-5 second hole to 11 feet to make eagle.
“Shane got off to areally good start,”McIlroy said “I didn’tdoanything. Shane joked Icould have got a couple extra hours in bed if Iwanted to. Iplayeda bit better coming in.
“It was OK. We felt like we left afew shots out there, butwewerejustsayingthe two foursomes days on Friday and Sunday here are the importantdays in this tournament, and it’simportant for us to obviously post a good score tomorrow.”
Portions of Friday’ssecondround will be televised on the Golf Channel and streamed on ESPN+.
calming down alittle bit commandthe strike zone and separateballs and strikesand he’sdoing apretty good job of that.”
Lee Amedee (.286, 1HR, 25 RBIs)iscoming off abig weekend and Deggs likes what he saw “That’sasaggressiveas I’veeverseen Lee Amedee swingthe bat—I mean three plateappearances in a row …first pitch hack, first pitch hack, first pitch hack,” Deggs said. “He was getting his swings off withsome violence behind it.”
In Wednesday’s6-2 home winoverNicholls, it was actually JoseTorres in the ninthspot that shined at 3-for-4with three RBIs on a keythree-run double in the sixthinning.
“With twoouts and two strikes right there,he’sable to stayonabaseball and split agap,” Deggs said Torres.
Thecoach also pointed out the new lineup has only struckout twice in each of thelast two games.
UL starting pitcher MalloryWheeler will have her work cut out for her at TexasState this weekend.
“And Istill think (Bethaney)Noble is ready in the bullpen too.She’s had some really good outings -she makes the ball spin. All four of them are ready.It’s been somebody different every weekend. The recent upswing in UL’s play,inHabetz’smind, begins with the pitching,but goes deeperthan that.
“Two things, number one is the pitchers attacked the strike zone,” she said. “The least amount of freebies we give up, the better
“Defensively, we’ve been prettysteady all season. Pitchingand thetimelyhitting.”
Andbytimely hitting,Habetzisn’treferring to an unrealisticpower surge.
“It’snot necessarily a home run, but if there are
runners at second and third, at leasthit the ball up the middle for the slappers,” She explained. “Instead of hitting aground ball to shortstop, can we get our barrelangle right, so we canhit it up themiddleand score two runs?
“Not trying todotoo much —just put it wherethey’re not and score moreruns.”
Email KevinFooteat kfoote@theadvocate.com.
ä Tennessee at LSU 6:30 P.M. FRIDAy,ESPN+ Tigers look to shakeoff Northwestern Stateloss aheadofweekend series
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
Tuesday was as ugly as it gets forLSU
The Tigers lost their first midweek game of theseasontoNorthwestern Statein blowout fashion, 13-3 in seven innings. It was the first time in program history they had lost by the10-run rule to anonconference team.
“You can’tbeaprisoner to feelings good or badinthis game, because it takes you away from execution,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “So as Isaid, learn the lessons(from it) and then leave the moment and then live in the next moment, and that’sabout preparing for this weekend.”
Conventional wisdom would suggest that the embarrassing defeat comesat an inopportune time. Reigning national champion Tennessee comes to Alex Box Stadium forathree-game series beginning on Friday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+).
But is that true? Does Tuesday’sresult spell trouble for the Tigers this weekend?
LSU underJohnsonhas played well in midweek games priortoa series in Southeastern Conference play,going 30-6 despite Tuesday’sloss. But when the Tigers have lost, theyhave typically bounced back thenextweekend.
They have won four of five series following amidweek loss, and have wonthe next gameafter amidweek defeat in all but one instance (a 2022 losstoFlorida in aseries LSUeventually won)
“Weall go through adversity in life have afamily member die —and then I think true toughness is when you show up whenthings aren’tgreat,” Johnson said, “and that’swhatIwant our team to do.And Ithink they can do that.”
Here’s alookathow LSUhas performed following amidweek loss during SEC play over thelast 10 seasons.
2014: LSU droppedjust one midweek game to Tulane, a3-2 defeat in 11 innings. Theresult translated into more losses over that weekendasthe Tigers gotsweptbyFlorida on the road.
2015: This was the only season where LSU didnot lose amidweek series duringSEC play. Its lone midweek loss of the year came on Feb.18against Nicholls State, the Tigers’ first midweek
game. 2016: LSU lost three midweek games, including twice to Tulane. The first loss to Tulane resulted in aseries win over Auburn. The second Green Wave defeat turned into two more losses in three games with Ole Miss.
The Tigers also suffered a7-0 defeat to McNeese State but then took down Grambling the next day and swept Missouri over the weekend.
2017: LSU lost four midweek games by eight combined runs, falling to Tulane twice and losing to UNO and South Alabama. The loss to UNO was in 15 innings.
The fallout from the defeats resulted in three sweeps and one series loss to Texas A&M.
2018: The Tigers dropped two tight midweek games that season, first to UL and then to Tulane. LSU beat Mississippi State 10-1 following the UL loss and won that series, but it got swept by South Carolina after the Tulane defeat.
2019: LSU lost four midweek games for the second time in three seasons, including an ugly 12-1 loss to Louisiana Tech (the only defeat more lopsided than Tuesday’sNorthwestern State loss).
The Tigers won two series and lost two series following those midweek defeats but they never got swept.
2021: LSU’sonly midweek loss was a 5-3 loss to Northwestern State. It was the last timethe Tigers had fallen to the Demons before Tuesday
LSU lost its next game to Texas A&M but went on to win that series.
2022: The Tigers dropped two midweek games in their first season under Johnson, losing 7-6 to Louisiana Tech in 12 innings and 9-4 to UNO. LSU won both series following the defeats, taking down Georgia and Florida twice.
2023: Despite winning the national championship, LSU lost midweek games in back-to-back weeks to UL and Nicholls State. The Tigers bounced back emphatically after both losses, sweeping Ole Miss and Alabama.
2024: LSU’slone midweek loss came to Southern in an ugly 12-7 defeat at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers won their next gameagainst Vanderbilt but then dropped the series to the Commodores. Email Koki RileyatKoki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
Go fly akite
Theannual KiteFestLouisianetakes off at 11 a.m. Saturdayatthe West Baton RougeSoccerComplex,3383 Rosedale Road, Port Allen. Competitions, retailers, design-a-kite, candyshower, music,food and more. Fireworks at duskcloses theday Sundayhours are 11 a.m.-4p.m. westbatonrouge.net
MACMcANALLY
8p.m. Saturday l L’Auberge Casino, 777 L’AubergeAve., Baton Rouge l $30-$125 l www2.lbatonrouge.com and macmcanally.com
Bu
ffett sideman Mac
McAnally stepstothe spotlight
BY JOHN WIRT
Contributing writer
Mac McAnally hasn’t performed in Baton Rouge since his 2010 guest appearance with Kenny Chesney at BayouCountry Superfest in Tiger Stadium.
McAnally —a singer-songwriterand multi-instrumentalist who worked with thelate Jimmy Buffett for more than 40 years —joined Superfest headliner Chesneyfor their McAnally-composed hit duet, “Down the Road.”
Roles reversed in January when Chesney made aguestappearance at McAnally’sheadlining debut at the RymanAuditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. They reprised “Down the Road” and sang Buffett’s songs “Come Monday” and “A Pirate Looks at Forty.”The special night also featured apartial reunionofthe Coral Reefer Band, with percussionist Eric Darken and guitarist PeterMayer joiningMcAnally, their fellow Buffett bandmember,onstage.
McAnally previously appeared at the revered former home of the Grand Ole Opry as asideman and openingact. Hissold-out first time topping the Ryman bill was an honor he never thought possible.
“I used to sit on the porch with my dad in Mississippi, listening to what was going on at theRyman,withmyhead up against the radio,” he said. “I never imaginedI’d be in theaudience, let alone on the stage.”
McAnally’sRyman show was poignant for another reason he’d originallyplanned to join Buffett there for the Parrott Head king’sRyman debut
“Weplotted different versions of howJimmywas going to play the Ryman,” McAnally recalled. “He wanted it to be special. We booked it acouple of differenttimes.The pandemic took it down one time. His medical treatment took it down the last time. We never got it done.” Buffett died of skincancer in 2023 at 76 years old. Although he wasn’tphysically atMcAnally’sRyman debut, McAnally believes the spirit of his almost big brother was present.
“I put Jimmy’sguitarand his microphone in the middle of the stage,” McAnallysaid. “I played off to the side, just like I’m more comfortable doing. He was there. Everybody Italked to who was there feels the same way.”
McAnally’sfriendshipwith Buffett began in the mid1970s, shortly before the stillstruggling singer recorded his
Write whatyou know, Mark Twain once said. For Baton Rouge filmmaker Warren Mitchell, that is autism. Diagnosed around the age of 2, Mitchell didnot learnwhatbeing on the autism spectrummeant until high school at Christian Life Academy “It was like probably the mostsignificant life change thatI’veexperienced, because now everything that I’ve gone through in my life before hadmade sense,” Mitchell,35, explained. “Andeverythingthatwould happeninmylife or theobstacles that Iwould face laterondown the line would be muchmore evident.” Suchwas thecase for theLSU
PROVIDED PHOTO By AMERZALLOUM
graduate when he undertook his first feature film.Writing commenced, then stalled. Raising funds wasslow going. And the fits and startsoffilming,that would make foradocumentary all its own, Mitchell said. The result, “Aspire,” will be screened 7p.m. Friday at the Manship Theatre. There’ll be ared carpet, aQ&A with the filmmaker and an after-party in the Manship’s Hartley-Vey Studio Theatre.Tickets, $27.10, are still available at manshiptheatre.org.Use thecode
“blue” at checkout foradiscount if you’re buying aticket forsomeone on the autism spectrum Mitchell wrote, directed and stars in “Aspire.”
“I decidedtodrawupon some of
ä See 'ASPIRE', page 6C
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
The South-Korean born, now BatonRouge-based blues musician Hanna PK was dressed in black, sipping an
Warren Mitchell and Kasie LaFleur lead the cast of ‘Aspire,’which Mitchell also wroteand directed
PROVIDED PHOTOByJTFLETCHER
Castand crewfor ‘Aspire’ includeback row, from left, Toby Bourg and BlakeMcMurry; middle row, Stevie Pearl, Shannon Stwart, Cassie Stewartand Rachael Knaps; front row, Zamond Herbert, Warren Mitchell, Kasie LaFleur and JT Fletcher
PROVIDED PHOTO FROM CODyJOHNSON.COM
Country singer-songwriter Cody Johnson, along with some friends, will perform at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Cajundome in Lafayette.
SHOWS TO WATCH
FRIDAY
BORDERLINE: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 11 a.m.
BACH LUNCH FEATURING RAM AT FESTIVAL
INTERNATIONAL: Parc International, Lafayette, noon BOOT BREW FEST: Lakeview Park and Beach, Eunice, 1 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m.
FRIDAY NIGHT JAM: La Maison de Begnaud, Scott, 6 p.m.
RIVERSMOOTH: Cafe
Sydnie Mae, Breaux Bridge, 6 p.m.
BLAKE LUQUETTE: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.
JACK WOODSON: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
NICKI NEEDHAM & ANDREW LAWRENCE: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
LE BAL DU DIMANCHE — DYLAN AUCOIN & THE JUDICE RAMBLERS: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1 p.m.
CAJUN JAM: Bayou
Teche Brewing, Arnaudville, 2 p.m.
“REUNION” BY PATRICIA CRAVINS: Cité des Arts, Lafayette, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Today is Friday, April 25, the 115th day of 2025. There are 250 days left in the year
Today in history: On April 25, 1898, the United States Congress declared war against Spain. The 16-week Spanish-American War resulted in an American victory, after which the United States took possession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam.
On this date: In 1507, a world map produced by German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller contained the first recorded use of the term “America,” in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci. In 1859, ground was broken
‘ASPIRE’
Continued from page 5C
TODAY IN HISTORY
in Egypt for construction of the Suez Canal.
In 1915, during World War I, Allied soldiers invaded the Gallipoli Peninsula in an unsuccessful attempt to take the Ottoman Empire out of the war
In 1945, during World War II, delegates from 50 countries opened a conference in San Francisco to create the Charter of the United Nations.
In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to commercial traffic, connecting all five Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in orbit from the space shuttle Discovery (It was later discovered that the telescope’s primary mirror was
flawed, requiring the installation of corrective components to achieve optimal focus.)
In 2014, city officials in Flint, Michigan, changed the source of its water supply to the Flint River in a cost-cutting move. The river water exposed Flint residents to dangerous levels of lead and bacteria, leading to a public health crisis that took five years to resolve. Today’s birthdays: Actor Al Pacino is 85. Musician-producer Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA) is 80. Actor Talia Shire is 79. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is 63. Actor Hank Azaria is 61. Sportscaster Joe Buck is 56. Actor Gina Torres is 56. Actor Renée Zellweger is 56. Actor Jason Lee is 55. Basketball Hall of Famer Tim Duncan is 49.
THE GOOD DUDES & MID-CITY MAVEN: River Ranch Town Square, Lafayette, 5:30 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: Charley G’s, Lafayette, 6 p.m.
GHOST-NOTE: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC: The Tap Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m.
Compiled by Marchaund Jones.
Want your venue’s music listed?
Email info/photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com.
The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper
my past experiences to put into the backstory of my character And then I also decided to pull in a couple of other moments to be reinterpreted into the movie,” Mitchell said. “And so what I came up with was an indie romantic comedy, kind of dramatic as well, where the character that I play, Sam Sullivan, is an autistic man in his early 30s, and he really wants to navigate life as an autistic person, especially from the viewpoint that he’s in and figuring out what he really wants out of life.
“So he decides to move from Shreveport to New Orleans, and he moves in with his cousin Derrick. And during that time, he accepts a job offer at a credit union. During that process, he falls in love with one of his co-workers. So through this movie, you’ll see him trying to learn how to function as an adult with autism in the real world and around people that he’s never met before, especially when it comes to his new romantic relationship, as he has never had that before.”
Simultaneously his new love interest, Amanda, played by Kasie LaFleur, is learning life through the viewpoint of an autistic person — how to understand it and love the person who has it.
The writing Mitchell’s initial stab at the story was in 2019.
“I got a couple pages down before I hit a roadblock,” he shared.
The next year, of course, brought the COVID-19 pandemic and for Mitchell, an anxiety battle.
“I wanted to take a mental (break) to really think about where I am in my life,” he said. “And I was coming up with so many thoughts, especially with my diagnosis as an autistic person. And when I real-
HANNA PK
Continued from page 5C
when she accepted an invite from Kenny Neal to record at his studio.
“Especially the kind of music I love and play, I feel like my life had to take me to the South,” PK said.
PK was raised in Dongducheon, a city in the northern region of South Korea. Her dad was a musician, and she grew up listening to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.
Because her dad’s career was in music, for years she resisted the same path for herself, she said.
“I always loved it,” PK said. “But when I was younger, I thought you have to be just so crazy to pursue music. And I felt like I wasn’t crazy enough to go into it.”
She studied business in college and took her first job in Rochester, where she discovered the John Cole Blues Band. Something in her heart responded to the blues, she said all of its heartbreak and
McANALLY
Continued from page 5C
“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” album and its breakthrough hit, “Margaritaville.” McAnally’s decades of studio work with Buffett began in 1980. Buffett featured a McAnally composition, “It’s My Job,” on his 1981 album, “Coconut Telegraph.” Their acoustic tour together in 1989 preceded McAnally joining the Coral Reefer Band in 1992. He later produced albums for Buffett as well as Toby Keith, Chris LeDoux, George Strait, Amy Grant, Sawyer Brown, Martina McBride and more.
McAnally’s concerts feature songs from his 16-album solo career, Buffett classics and hits he’s
backed out for assorted reasons.
“It literally felt like a horror story, but the one thing that I hate doing is bailing out at the last second because even though some people were doing that, I didn’t want to be one of those people,” he recalled.
“So I tried to do as much as I could, but throughout the problems, the bad luck kept hitting us over and over again.
The wedding shoot Mitchell envisioned for LSU’s Greek Theater in October 2023 was the last straw with an overlapping event involving the LSU Tiger Band resulting in a shooting shutdown.
ized that the thoughts that I was writing down about myself could work well as a monologue for the character that I was trying to create a long time ago. That’s when I decided to dive back in with a refreshed and renewed viewpoint.”
With much inspiration, the words flowed, and from February to October 2022, Mitchell was able to complete the script.
The filming
The first shoots for “Aspire,” set for September 2023, proved to be problematic, starting with building a cast with minimal funds Mitchell had saved his money from a coffee house job and had some money from crowdfunding, but not nearly enough to pay actors.
“Initially, I didn’t specify any payment, but I promised them that I would give them food and IMDB (Internet Movie Database) credit because this was really my first-ever feature film. And I’m financially in the same boat as they are,” Mitchell said. “The only thing I can offer them is just my love and my passion for making this film.”
Then one of the main supporting actresses had to drop out for personal issues, then a few more actors
triumph.
“He was a real bluesman, and when I saw his band, I knew, that’s the music I really want to learn and do,” PK said. “That started my deep love for it.”
PK said she also found a connection with the blues because of the centrality of intergenerational trauma and struggle. While the history of Black people in the U.S. is very different than that of Koreans, she said, she can empathize with blues music based on common themes of mistreatment and oppression.
She used the Korean concept “han,” which doesn’t have a direct English translation, to describe some of the parallels.
“American people say ‘I got the blues,’ but Korean people have ‘han,’ ” PK said. “Han can be explained like a multigeneration’s sorrow, and maybe the things you feel for all the hardship that your people went through.”
Miguel Hernandez, bassist in PK’s band and a prominent member of the Baton Rouge blues scene, said PK’s playing comes
written for others, such as Alabama’s “Old Flame,” Shenandoah’s “Two Dozen Roses” and Sawyer Brown’s “Thank God for You.”
He’s accompanied by Darken the Buffett bandmate who plays an array of percussion instruments.
After being behind the scenes as a session musician for country stars, a supporting player for Buffett and a songwriter and producer, the 67-year-old McAnally is solo more now than ever
“I did 80 shows last year, mostly bragging on Jimmy,” he said. “I’ve always bragged on Jim, but I’ve got more reason to these days.
He’s not getting to run the regular lap that we always ran together I sing his songs and I meet the fans who made a lifetime habit of following his music.”
A professional musician since he was 13, McAnally sees his life in
“And that day, I was just demoralized. I was completely broken,” Mitchell said “And that was probably my lowest point as a filmmaker I was keeping in mind Murphy’s Law where everything that can go wrong will go wrong, but even then I could not have anticipated everything.”
For the next two months, the determined Mitchell regrouped and filming restarted in January 2024. Yes, there were shoots and reshoots and still more shuffling of actors. By April’s end, and with a budget now of $4,000, filming wrapped. The Pangburn Group, Eye Wander Photo and Viking Multi-Media also came on board to offer support.
The takeaway When filmgoers leave the Manship after seeing “Aspire,” Mitchell hopes they exit with a fresh perspective on his condition.
“I want people to leave with the feeling that this autistic guy may not be the kind of person you want to get to know more based on early impressions, but in reality, they just want to be met as a loving and nice and supportive person,” he said. “And especially for people on the autism spectrum, I want them to know that it’s OK to be different. I’m in the same mode as you guys, and I am putting all my eggs in a basket to get to where I want to be as an adult.”
from a place of honesty and authenticity, paying homage to the genre while being true to her own life experiences.
“There are lots of musicians out here — all of them can play like the old guys, but when you hear them, you can pick out which old guy they sound like,” Hernandez said. “Whereas when she plays, she’s got the old style, but her ideas are hers.”
PK said nonblues listeners sometimes assume they “know” the blues, and they can miss the individuality of each artist. She encouraged audiences to leave behind their preconceptions of the blues and go hear the music live.
Her free performance Friday night is at the Juke Joint stage at the West Baton Rouge Museum.
“What people might think that they know might not be all the experience there is,” PK said. “I want people to not be so caught up in the genre and come out and hear it yourself.”
Email Haley Miller at haley miller@theadvocate.com.
music as a gift.
“A lot of blessings all piled next to me,” he said.
The blessings began with growing up in a musical family in the tiny city of Belmont, Tishomingo County, Mississippi. Music became the shy youngster’s conduit to the world. By his teens, he was playing studio sessions in nearby Muscle Shoals, Alabama, one of the 1960s and ’70s major recording centers.
“I was such a bashful kid,” he said. “I didn’t have the nerve to go to Nashville or Atlanta or New Orleans or L.A. or New York or Chicago. But I could go to Muscle Shoals, fail and be home by suppertime. That geography was necessary for us to be having this conversation these many years later.”
Email John Wirt at j_wirt@msn. com.
PROVIDED PHOTO By TERRy HRUDICKA Filmmaker Warren Mitchell says this downtown mural is the only spot he’d want to have his headshot taken to promote ‘Aspire.’
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) You can weather any storm you encounter if you remain calm. Keep your thoughts to yourself, assess situations from a distance and don't participate in other people's drama.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Reach out and connect. Attending a reunion, conference or event will positively impact your life. Choose digital gatherings over in-person get-togethers.
cANcER (June 21-July 22) Mismanagement is apparent when dealing with contracts, financial and legal issues. Negotiate on your behalf; you will fall short of your expectations if you let someone else talk for you.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Refuse to let what you cannot control take precedence over what you can take care of yourself. Learn from past mistakes, make wise choices and face opposition with composure, experience and solutions.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Observe the reactions of others. Nurture relationships and your reputation at all costs. Stick to the truth and question anything you hear that sounds preposterous.
LIBRA (sept 23-oct. 23) Protect your position, possessions and the people you love. Cap spending while avoiding deception and indulgent behavior.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-Nov. 22) Put your troubles aside, refuse to let anyone bait you and turn your attention to the people
and pursuits that make you happy. Feel good about life, who you are and what you do.
sAGIttARIus (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Restrict your actions, promises and debt. Rearrange your space to accommodate your pursuits, and draw up an agreement if considering a joint venture.
cAPRIcoRN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) When in doubt, ask questions If you want change, make sure it's carefully planned. Eliminating uncertainty will encourage confidence and better negotiating skills.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You can be blunt, but you should refrain from letting anger take the reins. Let innovation, imagination and intuition guide you, and you'll discover how to handle situations with diplomacy.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) You can get things done if you work alone. Go somewhere you won't be bothered and take care of unfinished business. Treat yourself to something special.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Do what you must, don't look back and make everything you say and do count. Let your words flow and your actions unfold, and you will enjoy positive results.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
toDAy's cLuE: c EQuALs F
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
And erneSt
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
SherMAn’S LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
Puzzle Answer
Bridge
By PHILLIP ALDER
GrouchoMarxsaid,“Achildof5would understandthis. Send someone to fetch achild of 5.”
In bridge, it is a“rule”that if you bid a suit on the first round of the auction and partner does not raise your suit, then, if you rebid it in on the second round, you areindicatingatleastasix-cardsuit.You do your utmost not to rebid in afive-card suit.
However, these days experts permit a rebid in afive-card suit by responder if opener reverses on round two.
What is areverse?Assuming the auctionisuncontested,opener bids first one suit, then asecond suit, and if responder wishes to give preference to opener’s first-bid suit, he mustgotothe three-level —three clubs in the given sequence. Afteraone-over-oneresponse,areverse shows avery strong hand; usually 18 to 20 high-card points (but perhaps agood 17).
Here, when Northrebid two hearts (withsix good hearts, he would have jumped to three hearts); South continuedwith two no-trump to show his spade stoppers; and North raised to game.
West ledthe spade queen. What did South do? Declarer had seven top tricks: twospades, four diamonds and oneclub
Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
INstRuctIoNs: 1. Wordsmustbeoffour or more letters.2.Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” suchas“bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicitwords are not allowed.
toDAy’sWoRD sHAttER: SHAT-er: To break at once into pieces
Average mark 34 words
Time limit 45 minutes
Can you find 41 or more wordsinSHATTER?
yEstERDAy’sWoRD —tItIVAtEs
today’s thought “Nevertheless Ihave somewhatagainst you, because you have left yourfirstlove.” Revelation 2:4
